Football Films To Watch After The World Cup
The WC ended but we refuse to log off ⚽️ Now there’s a football-shaped hole in everyone’s schedule. So we made a list for the withdrawal phase. Cantona philosophizing in Looking for Eric, Sorrentino’s Naples waiting for Maradona, the Sunderland doc that hurts more than any actual match, and Shaolin Soccer for when you need the opposite of tactical analysis. 30 films and series to keep the season going indefinitely. Rate them on Hypelist ⭐️
Items in this hypelist
Movies
The Damned United
2009
Taking over Leeds United, Brian Clough's abrasive approach and his clear dislike of the players' dirty style of play make it certain there is going to be friction. Glimpses of his earlier career help explain both his hostility to previous manager Don Revie and how much he is missing right-hand man Peter Taylor.
Offside
2018
Football is an international language that transcends generations, nationalities, class and religion. Former professional footballer, a current scout, loner and alcoholic Phil forms an unlikely friendship with Sasha, a young football fan. Their lives revolve around FC Lokomotiv Moscow, where they spot talented footballer Denis. Along with Olga, Denis’s mother, they’re determined to make him not just a good player, but a great player.
The Sure Hand of God
2004
A struggling widow vows to save her teenage daughter from a life of hardship by snaring her a wealthy husband.
Looking for Eric
2009
A man trying to put his life back on track gets some advice from an unexpected benefactor -- the ex-footballer Eric Cantona.
Diamantino
2018
A disgraced soccer star seeks redemption but is exploited by a variety of causes hoping to capitalize on his celebrity.
Next Goal Wins
2023
Dutch coach Thomas Rongen attempts the nearly impossible task of turning the American Samoa soccer team from perennial losers into winners.
Escape to Victory
1981
A group of POWs in a German prison camp during World War II play the German National Soccer Team in this powerful film depicting the role of prisoners during wartime.
Shaolin Soccer
2001
A young Shaolin follower reunites with his discouraged brothers to form a soccer team using their martial art skills to their advantage.
Bend It Like Beckham
2002
Jess Bhamra, the daughter of a strict Indian couple in London, is not permitted to play organized soccer, even though she is 18. When Jess is playing for fun one day, her impressive skills are seen by Jules Paxton, who then convinces Jess to play for her semi-pro team. Jess uses elaborate excuses to hide her matches from her family while also dealing with her romantic feelings for her coach, Joe.
The Cup, Ely, NV
1999, Directed by Khyentse Norbu, Drama/Sports
Mean Machine
2001
Disgraced ex-England football captain, Danny 'Mean Machine' Meehan, is thrown in jail for assaulting two police officers. He keeps his head down and has the opportunity to forget everything and change the lives of the prisoners. When these prisoners have the chance to put one over the evil guards during a prison football match, Danny takes the lead.
The Beautiful Game
2024
A group of advocates to end homelessness organize an annual tournament for homeless people to compete in a series of football matches known as The Homeless World Cup.
Pelé
2021
Against the backdrop of a turbulent era in Brazil, this documentary captures Pelé's extraordinary path from breakthrough talent to national hero. Mixing rare archival footage and exclusive interviews, this documentary celebrates the legendary Brazilian footballer who personified football as art.
Ronaldo
2015
Filmed over 14 months with unprecedented access into the inner circle of the man and the sport, this is the first official and fully authorised film of one of the most celebrated figures in football. For the first time ever, the world gets vividly candid and un-paralleled, behind-closed-doors access to the footballer, father, family-man and friend in this moving & fascinating documentary. Through in-depth conversations, state of the art football footage and never before seen archival footage, the film gives an astonishing insight into the sporting and personal life of triple Ballon D'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo at the peak of his career. From the makers of ‘Senna’ and ‘Amy’, Ronaldo takes audiences on an intimate and revealing journey of what it’s like to live as an iconic athlete in the eye of the storm.
Beckham
2023
With never-before-seen footage, this docuseries follows David Beckham's meteoric rise from humble beginnings to global football stardom.
Messi
2014
His teachers, coaches, childhood friends and Barça teammates, together with journalists, writers and prominent figures from the history of football, come together in a restaurant to analyze and pick apart Messi's personality both on and off the field, and to look back at some of the most significant moments in his life. Viewed from Álex de la Iglesia's unique perspective, Messi recreates the player's childhood and teenage years, from his very first steps, with a football always at his feet, through to the decision to leave Rosario for Barcelona, the separation from his family, and the role played in his career by individuals such as Ronaldinho, Rijkaard, Rexach and Guardiola.
Diego Maradona
2019
Constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centers on the personal life and career of the controversial football player Diego Maradona who played for SSC Napoli and Argentina in the 1980s.
Neymar: The Perfect Chaos
2022
Beloved worldwide but also a lightning rod for criticism, Neymar shares the highs and lows of his personal life and brilliant football career.
Welcome to Wrexham
2022
Documentary series tracking the dreams and worries of Wrexham, a working-class town in North Wales, UK, as two Hollywood stars (Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds) take ownership of the town’s historic yet struggling football club.
The Class of ‘92
2013
A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.
FIFA Uncovered
2022
From power struggles to global politics, an exploration of FIFA reveals the organization's checkered history — and what it takes to host a World Cup.
All or Nothing: Manchester City
2018
Legendary coach Pep Guardiola leads his Manchester City team through the 2017-18 football season.
Super League: The War for Football
2023
The past, present, and future of European football collide when plans for a breakaway league emerge, leaving the game’s most powerful leaders to defend—or upend—the traditions of the sport.
Six Dreams
2018
Six Dreams is an exclusive and unprecedented insight into the Spanish first division of football. Follow six people during league season 2017-18: Three players, one coach, one sports director and a club president. Their stories offer an inside look at the daily difficulties, victories and challenges of professional football at the highest level.
Diego Maradona
2019
Constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centers on the personal life and career of the controversial football player Diego Maradona who played for SSC Napoli and Argentina in the 1980s.
Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager
2018
The definitive portrait of one of sport's most inspirational, influential figures - whose legacy lives on far beyond the football field.
Kaiser
2022
Homicide detective Kaiser Chowdhury takes on a double murder that turns out to be much more than what meets the eye. Plagued by personal and professional demons, will Kaiser be able to get to the root of the mystery?
Sunderland 'Til I Die
2018
This docuseries follows English soccer club Sunderland through the 2017-18 season as they try to bounce back after relegation from the Premier League.
The Two Escobars
2010
Pablo Escobar was the richest, most powerful drug kingpin in the world, ruling the Medellin Cartel with an iron fist. Andres Escobar was the biggest soccer star in Colombia. The two were not related, but their fates were inextricably-and fatally-intertwined. Pablo's drug money had turned Andres' national team into South American champions, favored to win the 1994 World Cup in Los Angeles. It was there, in a game against the U.S., that Andres committed one of the most shocking mistakes in soccer history, scoring an "own goal" that eliminated his team from the competition and ultimately cost him his life. The Two Escobars is a riveting examination of the intersection of sports, crime, and politics.
Take the Ball, Pass the Ball
2018
Take the Ball, Pass the Ball is the definitive story of the greatest football team ever assembled. For four explosive years, Pep Guardiola's Barça produced the greatest football in history, seducing fans around the world. In this exclusive, first-hand account of events between 2008 and 2012, the players themselves reveal the tension of the bitter Guardiola-Mourinho rivalry, the emotion of Abidal's fight back from cancer to lift the European Cup and how Messi, the best footballer the world's ever seen, was almost rejected by Barça as a 13-year-old.
