A 10-day spiritual retreat at the legendary Shaolin Temple in China’s Henan province, and Victor Wembanyama returned a different beast. Sure, his sophomore season with the San Antonio Spurs didn’t unfold as planned. The 21-year-old phenom was a force early on, but a blood clot in his right shoulder abruptly ended his campaign. Now, he’s back. And the glimpses Wemby’s shared since his return have fans losing their minds.

During the regular season, Victor Wembanyama was putting up monster numbers: 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, while shooting 47.6% from the floor. Everything pointed toward a breakout sophomore year for the Spurs’ rising star. Then came the setback. A blood clot in his right shoulder cut his season short, leaving fans stunned.

But instead of retreating quietly, Wemby headed to China for a healing trip at the Shaolin Temple. And now, he’s back. What’s wild is the transformation. Wemby returned with a lean, sharp look and a skillset that feels more footballer than baller. A seven-foot-three phenom moving like a midfielder. The league isn’t ready.

A recent post from a popular football fan group 433 sent both hoops and soccer fans into a frenzy. The video featured Victor Wembanyama pulling off a free kick that looked ripped straight from Cristiano Ronaldo’s playbook. With a stance eerily similar to CR7, Wemby lined up his shot from outside the box.

Then, boom. He curled it clean into the top-right corner, soaring over the defenders like they weren’t even there. The reaction was instant. Players, coaches, even bystanders let out the same stunned sound: “OHHHHHHHHH.” And it wasn’t just those on the field losing it. Online fans were floored too.

Fans erupt after Victor Wembanyama nails unbelievable shot

In that 433 post, fans caught several clips of Victor Wembanyama casually kicking it around with local footballers. But the video that stole the spotlight was the moment he nailed that outrageous free kick. Wemby didn’t let it slide either. He proudly shared the clip to his Instagram story, letting the world know this wasn’t a fluke. And the comment section under the original post? Absolute chaos. Fans didn’t hold back, flooding it with fire emojis, shocked faces, and Ronaldo comparisons.

After watching Wemby’s shockingly polished technique, likely sharpened by his recent 10-day Shaolin Temple retreat. One fan made a perfectly timed connection saying,  “Fascia driven wemby after shaolin training 👏” That comment hit home because Shaolin practices famously emphasize fascia-driven strength, balance, and flexibility.

And Victor Wembanyama’s body control and fluid motion during the strike were precise. Another fan couldn’t believe what he’d just seen, “That’s actually a class freekick wtf 😂”.  He wasn’t wrong. The ball indeed cleared a defensive wall, hung for a beat, and then dipped into the top-right corner. It wasn’t a lucky hit; it had pace, placement, and perfect elevation. Exactly the kind of execution well-trained footballers often show.

The video was so clean that some fans joked whether Wemby might’ve picked the wrong profession. As one comment read, “He chose the wrong sport haha”. Well, it’s kinda exaggerating. But still, after watching that perfect shot, it felt like with that kind of natural footwork and shot technique, you could drop Victor Wembanyama into a professional football trial tomorrow, and few would bat an eye.

One nostalgic fan even compared the strike to one of football’s greatest. By saying, “Seeing Ronaldo do this in 2008 really terrified me”. And you can’t argue with that. The free kick’s technique, dip, and sharp finish make you remember prime Cristiano Ronaldo. It brought back memories of those iconic 2008 Premier League and Champions League strikes when CR7 would hit identical top-corner shots.

And of course, in classic football banter fashion, someone linked it to Arsenal’s eternal striker woes. By commenting, “Arsenal need a striker Wemby get on the field😂😂😂🔥” Given Arsenal’s patchy finishing in recent seasons, this comment was the perfect mix of humor and low-key praise. In short, one spontaneous moment from this San Antonio Spurs phenom turned into a crossover sports spectacle.

In this case, Victor didn’t just flex his versatility; he gave both basketball and football fans a reason to collectively lose their minds.