what does bend it like beckham mean

“Bend it like Beckham ” means to kick a soccer ball so it curves through the air instead of traveling in a straight line, especially on a free kick. The phrase became widely known from the 2002 film title, which refers to David Beckham’s famous curling shots.

In a broader, figurative sense, people also use it to mean finding a clever way around an obstacle or bending the “rules” to reach a goal.