List of association football films

The following is a list of films featuring association football (soccer).

## List

[edit]

Title  | Year  | Genre  | Notes

|
|
|

Harry the Footballer | 1911  | Drama  | Silent film about a star player being kidnapped by the opposition. However, they are foiled by his girl-friend, just in time for him to get to the match and score the winning goal.
The Winning Goal | 1920  | Drama  | Silent film about a fictional team called the Blackton Rovers.
The Great Game | 1930  | Comedy  | British film about fictional Manningford F.C.
Sportszerelem | 1936  | Comedy  |
The Arsenal Stadium Mystery | 1939  | Crime comedy  | When a player is poisoned during a match, Detective Inspector Slade must investigate.[1]
Das große Spiel | 1942  | Comedy  |
O Leão da Estrela | 1947  | Comedy-drama  | This Arthur Duarte movie includes original images of the Portuguese cup final Porto – Sporting
The Great Game | 1953  | Comedy-drama  | The chairman of a British club is penalized for approaching a player from a rival team.
The Love Match | 1955  | Comedy  | Arthur Askey stars as a football mad train driver, with Thora Hird as his wife who takes in a referee as a lodger.
Két félidő a pokolban | 1961  | Drama  | Based on 1942's The Death Match between team in modern-day Ukraine (including players from Dynamo Kyiv) and a German Wehrmacht side.
Garrincha: Hero of the Jungle | 1962  | Documentary  | Brazilian film on the career of then-current superstar Garrincha.
Третий тайм (The Third Half) | 1962  | Drama  | Also based on 1942's The Death Match
Fútbol México 70 | 1970  | Documentary  | The 1970 FIFA World Cup held in Mexico.
Dhanyee Meye | 1971  | Comedy  |
Pirveli mertskhali  | 1975  | Comedy-drama  | Passionate and talented sportsman Jason founded the first ever Georgian football team in the seaport of Poti
Mohunbaganer Meye | 1976  |  |
Yesterday's Hero | 1979  | Drama  | Ian McShane as a former football player turned alcoholic.
Coup de tête | 1979  | Comedy/Drama  | French film about player kicked off the team for fighting with the star.
El Chanfle | 1979  | Comedy  | Chespirito as a waterboy for a Mexican team whose life unexpectedly changes when his wife gets pregnant.
La Fiesta de Todos | 1979  | Documentary  | The 1978 FIFA World Cup held in Argentina.
Escape to Victory | 1981  | War  | Loosely based on The Death Match, with Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine; released in North America as Victory.[1]
Gregory's Girl | 1981  | Comedy  | Scottish teen tale directed by Bill Forsyth.[1]
A Captain's Tale | 1982  | Drama/documentary  | Film made for TV, about an "international" tournament (mainly 1909) in which West Auckland town somehow get invited to take part.
Those Glory Glory Days | 1983  | Drama  | A group of girls growing up in 1960–61 London develop an interest in football and Tottenham Hotspur.[1]
The Champions | 1983  | Comedy  | Lee Tung (Yuen Biao) gets taunted by rival football teams.
Piłkarski poker | 1988  | Comedy-drama  | Polish film about the corruption in football environment directed by Janusz Zaorski.
Ultra | 1991  | Drama  | Italian film.
Cup Final | 1991  | Drama  | Israeli film about a kidnapping during the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
Ladybugs | 1992  | Comedy  | Rodney Dangerfield as a soccer coach who makes a boy suit up as a girl.
An Impossible Job | 1994  | Documentary  |
The Big Green | 1995  | Family Comedy  | A British woman teaches soccer to Texas school kids.
The Final Goal | 1995  | Drama  | An Idealistic pro soccer player is pressured to throw the biggest game of his life.
I.D. | 1995  | Drama  | Four police officers go undercover to investigate thugs on East London soccer team.
Fever Pitch | 1997  | Romantic comedy  | Colin Firth in an adaptation of Nick Hornby's book about Arsenal.[2]
When Saturday Comes | 1996  | Drama  | A factory worker (Sean Bean) is recruited by professional football clubs.[2]
The Cup | 1999  | Comedy  | Buddhist monks in a remote Himalayan monastery try to obtain a television for the monastery to watch the 1998 World Cup final.
Soccer Dog: The Movie | 1999  | Family comedy  | An orphan's dog has an uncanny skill at soccer.
Home Team | 1999  | Family comedy  | Ex-pro football player (Steve Guttenberg) is sentenced to serve as a handyman at a boys' home.
Switching Goals | 1999  | Family comedy  | Twin sisters (Olsen twins), total opposites, become soccer opponents.
Air Bud: World Pup | 2000  | Family comedy  | Direct-to-video film in the Air Bud series.
The Goalkeeper | 2000  | Drama  | The plot follows the mishaps of Ramiro Forteza, a goalie arriving to an Asturian village in 1948, coming to acquaint both with the Guardia Civil and the Maquis
There's Only One Jimmy Grimble | 2000  | Comedy-drama  | A 15-year-old's goal is to play for Manchester City.
Shaolin Soccer | 2001  | Comedy  | Hong Kong comedy about a football-playing monk.[3]
A Shot at Glory | 2001  | Drama  | A coach (Robert Duvall) tries to get his team to the Scottish Cup final.
Mean Machine | 2001  | Comedy-drama  | Adaptation of The Longest Yard with association football instead of American football. Stars former footballer Vinnie Jones.
Mike Bassett: England Manager | 2001  | Comedy  | Manager from lower leagues becomes manager of England national football team, aims for World Cup in Brazil.
The Game of Their Lives | 2002  | Documentary  | Chronicles North Korea national team that made surprising run to quarterfinals of 1966 FIFA World Cup.
Bend It Like Beckham | 2002  | Comedy-drama  | Two teenaged girls in England (Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley) try out for football.[3]
Garrincha: Lonely Star | 2003  | Documentary  | Brazilian documentary examining the spectacular playing career and troubled off-field life of Garrincha, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of his birth and 20th of his death.
Just for Kicks | 2003  | Comedy  | Story of soccer-playing twin brothers (Dylan and Cole Sprouse).
The Miracle of Bern | 2003  | Drama  | Set against backdrop of 1954 FIFA World Cup Final, which became known in Germany as the "Miracle of Bern".[1]
The Other Final | 2003  | Documentary  | Match between Bhutan and Montserrat, lowest-ranked teams in FIFA World Rankings, held on same day as 2002 FIFA World Cup Final.
United | 2003  | Romantic comedy  | Norway film.
Pelé Eterno | 2004  | Documentary  |
Soccer Dog: European Cup | 2004  | Comedy  | Sequel to 1999 children's film.
Guys and Balls | 2004  | Comedy  | A gay goalkeeper assembles a gay-only soccer team to play against his ex-team, which fired him due to homophobia.
Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team | 2005  | Documentary  | A history of the US women's national team.
Goal! | 2005  | Drama  | Santiago Muñez (Kuno Becker), a Mexican youth in U.S. illegally, gets an opportunity to play in England.
Green Street | 2005  | Drama  | Starring Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam. A film about football hooliganism in England.
Kicking & Screaming | 2005  | Family comedy  | Will Ferrell screwball comedy about coaching soccer.[2]
Real, The Movie | 2005  | Documentary  | Explores history of Real Madrid, incorporating some fictional elements.
The Game of Their Lives | 2005  | Drama  | Based on USA's massive upset of England in the 1950 FIFA World Cup.
Merry Christmas aka Joyeux Noël | 2005  | Drama  | During World War I, soldiers put aside differences to play a game of soccer.
Garpastum | 2005  | Drama  | Two brothers in 1914 on the eve of the outbreak of World War I wish to build a football stadium.
Goal II: Living the Dream | 2006  | Drama  | Continuation of 2005 story, with Santiago switching from Newcastle to Real Madrid.
Offside | 2006  | Comedy  | Sweden film.
Offside | 2006  | Drama  | Iranian film about girls trying to see Iran's qualifier against Bahrain.[1]
Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos | 2006  | Documentary  | Matt Dillon narrates story of North American Soccer League club, with player interviews.
Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait | 2006  | Documentary  | Chronicles life and career of Zinedine Zidane.[2]
She's the Man | 2006  | Comedy  | Amanda Bynes disguises herself so she can play with the boys.
Sixty Six | 2006  | Comedy/Drama  | The misadventures surrounding a London boy's bar mitzvah that conflicts with the 1966 FIFA World Cup final. Based on the real-life bar mitzvah of the film's director Paul Weiland, which took place on that specific day.
Gracie | 2007  | Drama  | New Jersey girl battles to play on boys' team. Loosely based on Elisabeth Shue, who co-produced film and plays girl's mother.
Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal | 2007  | Drama  |
Her Best Move | 2007  | Comedy  | A 15-year-old girl has a shot to make the US national team.
Maradona by Kusturica | 2008  | Documentary  | A look at the career of Diego Maradona.
Kicking It | 2008  | Documentary  | Colin Farrell narrates a look at the Homeless World Cup.
Soccer Mom | 2008  | Comedy  | TV family movie starring Missi Pyle.
Football with a Cause | 2009  | Documentary  | Académica Coimbra team resistance against Portuguese dictatorship, shown to world in cup final against Benfica in 1969
The Damned United | 2009  | Drama  | A fictionalized version of Brian Clough's tenure as manager of Leeds United.[3]
Goal! 3: Taking on the World | 2009  | Drama  | Direct-to-video third part of trilogy following the experiences of a Mexican footballer in Europe.
Offside | 2009  | Romantic comedy  | Story about rival footballers in Australia.
A Time for Champions | 2009  | Documentary  | Made for TV. Explores history of soccer in St. Louis, focusing on Saint Louis University in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Looking for Eric | 2009  | Fiction  | Eric Bishop is a football fanatic postman whose life is descending into crisis. When he gets high his idol Eric Cantona appears to him and offers him advice.[3]
One Night in Turin | 2010  | Documentary  | Chronicles England's run in the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
Tim Cahill: The Unseen Journey | 2010  | Documentary  | Australian made-for-TV film following Socceroos star Tim Cahill during the run-up to the team's appearance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The Referee | 2010  | Documentary  | Film about Swedish soccer referee Martin Hansson and his dramatic journey to 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
The Two Escobars | 2010  | Documentary  | Made for TV as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Explores lives of footballer Andrés Escobar and drug lord Pablo Escobar, and links between murders of both men.[2]
For the Glory | 2011  | Drama  |
Egaro | 2011  | Drama  | Indian Bengali team Mohun Bagan wins 1911 IFA Shield against mighty British team East Yorkshire Regiment in Calcutta under background circumstances of Partition of Bengal of 1905.
The Four Year Plan | 2011  | Documentary  | Chronicles the 2007 takeover of nearly bankrupt Queens Park Rangers by a group of billionaires and their attempt to get the club promoted to the Premier League by 2011.
The Last Proletarians of Football | 2011  | Documentary  | Swedish film exploring the 1980s "golden age" of IFK Göteborg amid the backdrop of significant changes to Swedish society.
Lucky Trouble | 2011  | Comedy  | A school teacher is mistaken for a football coach and ends up training a group of juvenile delinquents for the Russian Youth Soccer Cup.
Will | 2011  | Drama  | After losing his parents, 12-year-old journeys across Europe to witness 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, which features dad's favorite football club Liverpool.
United | 2011  | Drama  | Based on the true story of the Munich air disaster which claimed 23 lives including lives of eight Manchester United players. In the aftermath of the disaster a makeshift United team reached the 1958 FA Cup Final against all odds.
Abby Head On | 2011  | Documentary  | ESPN Film about soccer phenom Abby Wambach
Playing for Keeps | 2012  | Romantic comedy  | A former professional star (Gerard Butler) coaches a kids' team.
Metegol | 2013  | Comedy  | Argentine computer-animated film about a man who plays football who tried to protect a whole town with his help with his foosball players to play real soccer.
The Other Sport | 2013  | Documentary  | 3-part TV series about the history and developments inside women's soccer in Sweden.
The Class of '92 | 2013  | Documentary  | Chronicles the rise of six young Manchester United players—David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, and Paul Scholes—from the club's 1992 FA Youth Cup win, featuring four of the group, to United's Treble victory in 1999.
The 99ers | 2013  | Documentary  | Made for TV as part of ESPN's Nine for IX series. An insider account of the 1999 US World Cup soccer team that broke new ground for women's sports
The Whistle | 2013  | Documentary  | Winner of the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize for Short Film, The Whistle is a documentary about a soccer referee who has reached a critical crossroads in his life
Eighteam | 2014  | Documentary  | Spanish–Zambian co-production. Explores the recent history of the Zambia national team—from promise in the late 1980s, to unspeakable tragedy in 1993, resurrection in 1994, and ultimate victory in 2012.
Hillsborough | 2014  | Documentary  | Made for TV as an ESPN–BBC co-production. A 25-year retrospective of the Hillsborough disaster, featuring many accounts from fans in attendance, police officers, and victims' family members. First aired in the U.S. as part of the 30 for 30 series in 2014; first aired in the UK in 2016.
Messi | 2014  | Documentary  | Spanish film exploring the rise of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
Next Goal Wins | 2014  | Documentary  | British film about American Samoa team trying to qualify for World Cup.[1]
United Passions | 2014  | Drama  | French film about origins of FIFA.
White, Blue and White | 2014  | Documentary  | Made for TV as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. After victory in the 1978 World Cup, Argentines Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa become cult heroes at Tottenham Hotspur, but later find themselves torn by the impending conflict between Argentina and Britain.
The Opposition | 2014  | Documentary  | Made for TV as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 Soccer Stories Series. Chile hosts a World Cup qualifier in a stadium that only months earlier had been used as a concentration camp
Maradona '86 | 2014  | Documentary  | Made for TV as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 Soccer Stories Series. In the 1986 FIFA World Cup, Diego Maradona redefined what is possible for one man to accomplish on the soccer field.
Ceasefire Massacre | 2014  | Documentary  | Made for TV as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 Soccer Stories Series. On 18 June 1994, as the Republic of Ireland World Cup team played in New Jersey, six fans were gunned down 24 miles south of Belfast.
The Myth of Garrincha | 2014  | Documentary  | Made for TV as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 Soccer Stories Series. A profile of Brazilian association football icon Mané Garrincha.
Mysteries of the Rimet Trophy | 2014  | Documentary  | Made for TV as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 Soccer Stories Series. The Jules Rimet Trophy, the holy grail of sport trophies, was the target of numerous thefts and ultimately disappeared without a trace
Barbosa: The Man Who Made Brazil Cry | 2014  | Documentary  | Made for TV as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 Soccer Stories Series. A look at Brazilian goalkeeper Moacir Barbosa Nascimento and how a costly mistake in the 1950 FIFA World Cup which cost Brazil the title and impacted his countrymen
Boca Juniors 3D | 2015  | Documentary  | Argentinian film exploring the history of Boca Juniors.
Ronaldo | 2015  | Documentary  | Filmmaker Anthony Wonke examines the life and career of famed soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo.
Pelé: Birth of a Legend | 2016  |  | Film that examines the life and career of Pelé.
Becoming Zlatan | 2016  | Documentary  | Swedish film that explores the early life and football development of Zlatan Ibrahimović, leading up to his international breakthrough in 2005 with Juventus.
Ola Bola | 2016  | Comedy/Drama  | Malaysia first sport football film exploring the real story about Malaysia during qualifying to 1980 Summer Olympics.
Bo66y | 2016  | Documentary  | A film which marks the 50th anniversary of England's victory in the 1966 World Cup.
George Best: All By Himself | 2017  | Documentary  | Made for TV as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. George Best was one of the most naturally gifted footballers ever, lifting Manchester United to new prominence a decade after its unspeakable tragedy—but alcoholism ended his football career while he was still in his twenties.
Early Man | 2018  | Comedy  | British stop-motion film following Dug and his Stone Age tribe who must beat Lord Nooth's Bronze Age team at football to reclaim their land.[3]
The Bromley Boys | 2018  | Comedy  | British film about a boy from Bromley who wants to become a football manager, and becomes a football mamager.
Diamantino | 2018  | Comedy-drama  | The film follows Premiere association football star Diamantino after he loses his special touch and ends his career in disgrace.
Trautmann (The Keeper) | 2018  | Drama  | The film tells the story of Bert Trautmann, a German prisoner of war who became a football legend in England.
City of Dreams | 2023  | Drama  | Young Mexican association football player is trafficked into the United States.
Next Goal Wins | 2023  | Comedy-drama  | Feature film based on the 2014 documentary
The Beautiful Game | 2024  | Drama  | Film about a squad of English homeless footballers who are led by their coach Mal, to compete in Rome at the global annual football tournament, the Homeless World Cup.
Iluminados | 2024  | Documentary  | Peruvian film that explores the 2023 Liga 1 final between classic rivals Universitario de Deportes and Alianza Lima, ending with the victory of the former for the third time.
#SeAcabó: Diario de las campeonas | 2024  | Documentary  | Netflix Spain production recounting the Spain women's national team's run to the 2023 World Cup crown and the controversy that followed the win.
U.S. Palmese | 2024  | Comedy  | A star footballer is transferred from Paris Saint-Germain FC to US Palmese in Calabria, Italy.

## See also

[edit]

Portals:

* Association football
* Films
* Lists

* List of sports films
* List of highest-grossing sports films

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g "10 great football films". BFI. 2014-06-12. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
2. ^ a b c d e Young, Neil; Roxborough, Scott; Ritman, Alex; Rahman, Abid (2022-11-20). "Goal! The 22 Best Soccer Movies". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
3. ^ a b c d e "10 Best Soccer Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer". SportsEngine. Retrieved 2024-11-05.

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