While there’s always plenty of live football available for fans, sometimes it’s refreshing to look behind the curtain.
This is where football documentaries come into play. They offer interested audiences unprecedented access to behind-the-scenes footage, providing viewers with a deeper understanding of the beautiful game.
With streaming services left, right and centre, there’s already plenty of great documentaries at our fingertips, whether they’re focused on an individual, a team, an organization or a football topic.
Here are 20 of the best soccer documentaries out there.
with the England The men’s team at one of its lowest ebbs, the Three Lions were offered a chance to redeem themselves at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. Led by manager Sir Bobby Robson and featuring the likes of Gary Lineker and David Platt, England traveled to the Mediterranean seeking salvation from immense public scrutiny.
With England yet to win the World Cup since 1966, we know it’s not a perfect finish, but A night in Turin discusses how perceptions changed over the course of the tournament.
Plus, it’s narrated by the brilliant Gary Oldman.
If we could only recommend one football documentary, this would probably be it.
The film follows the life of Colombian international Andrés Escobar, who was murdered after scoring an own goal that saw his nation out of the 1994 World Cup, and how the events that transpired relate to the famous head of the drug Pablo Escobar.
An attractive and difficult watch, The two Escobars it’s essential viewing for football fans and documentary fans alike.
The class of ’92 unsurprisingly, it tells the story of the six Manchester United players who helped inspire a generation of dominance, with David Beckham, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt.
This is another one to watch for Man Utd fans and those interested in the early years of the Premier League, although it may be one to avoid for Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City fans.
The next goal wins follows the trials and tribulations of the American Samoa men’s national soccer team as they attempt to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. Dubbed the “worst team in the world,” it’s worth noting that they lost 31-0 to Australia all of 2001.
The story was made into a feature film by director Taika Waititi in 2023 starring Michael Fassbender, but we recommend watching the documentary before diving into the film.
If you’re looking for a football documentary that focuses on broader issues with a political edge, then this is it Planet FIFA is one of the best available for you. The film, first released in 2016, looks at corruption at soccer’s governing body FIFA, with plenty of expert interviews to simplify a complicated subject.
It follows allegations of rigged FIFA elections, World Cup bribery and questionable advertising deals, giving the public an in-depth look at the murky side of sport.
Few would argue against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona being the best club team the world has ever seen, but here’s more proof if you need it.
It contains interviews with some of the best players in the world during the 21st century, both former Barcelona stars and those who played in rival teams. Catch the ball, pass the ball offers the definitive history of Barça’s brilliance between 2008 and 2012.
Written by Spanish football expert Graham Hunter, this is a must-see for those seduced by the kings of tiki-taka.
A night in Turin may look specifically at Italia ’90, but this documentary gives viewers a specific insight into the life of former England, Barcelona and Newcastle United manager Bobby Robson. The late football icon enjoyed a fantastic career and provides all the details with a mix of archives and interviews.
The film received rave reviews when it was released in 2018, nine years after Robson’s death, and is just as compelling today.
Sunderland ‘Till I Die it’s not just for Black Cats fans, it’s a worthwhile watch for any football fan who truly understands that connection between the local people and their team. The documentary beautifully portrays this fandom and the sense of community football provides in dark and bright days.
There are three seasons of the documentary which are split into episodes, with the first series following Sunderland through the 2017/18 season following their relegation to the Championship Premier League.
The beauty of All or Nothing is that you can select from a range of stories. The series goes behind the scenes to follow the inner workings of various football teams over the course of a season, starting with Manchester City through to 2018.
However, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are the other Premier League giants invited Amazon Prime behind-the-scenes cameras, with Juventus, Brazil and Germany also taking part in past series.
Chances are Leeds United fans across the country have already tuned in Take us home: Leeds Unitedbut the documentary makes for compelling viewing regardless of your football allegiance.
There are two seasons of the doc which follows Leeds chronologically through the 2018/19 and 2019/20 campaigns under the influential and much-loved Marcelo Bielsa.
Diego Maradona’s life often reads like fiction and this documentary – built from over 500 hours of previously unseen footage – allows viewers to be a fly on the wall on a journey through the hero’s incredible career argentine
Maradona was a genius on the football field but he suffered with his demons off it, with Diego Maradona showing the good and the bad of a truly extraordinary life. The late World Cup winner features in the documentary filmed a year before his death.
For many, Sir Alex Ferguson is the best manager ever. Featuring numerous interviews with the Manchester United legend, this documentary gives viewers an unparalleled look at the great Scottish manager.
Directed by Ferguson’s son Jason, the film serves as a perfect tribute to one of football’s most decorated icons, making it absolutely essential viewing for Man Utd fans of any era.
If you want an England international documentary that doesn’t end in heartbreak, tears and missed penalties, then Lionesses: how football came home it’s the perfect watch.
Unsurprisingly, centered around the England Women’s team and their triumph at Euro 2022, it gives audiences a closer look at Sarina Wiegman’s team and how they defied expectations to bring football at home
The England men’s team could do with watching this one.
There have been few more troublesome characters in the history of British football than the excellent England international Paul Gascoigne. A master of the game who captured the hearts of a nation, magpie delves into his life both on and off the pitch.
Having struggled with mental health issues and addiction, this documentary shines a light on the issues that plagued one of England’s most talented superstars.
Football is coming out critically assesses why there are no openly gay footballers in the Premier League, the richest and most watched division in world football.
Starring Patrick Bamford and Amal Fashanu, the documentary looks at the issues surrounding homophobia in football and what will happen when there is finally an openly gay player in England’s top division.
For those who lived through the rise of the Brazilian superstar and for those who have only heard the tales, The phenomenon: Ronaldo it’s a brilliant watch. Following the rise and eventual stardom of the two-time Ballon d’Or winner, the documentary looks at the highs and lows of an incredible career.
Ronaldo is just one of the global football icons interviewed, alongside Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Carlos and Paolo Maldini, with the film revealing what really happened to The Phenomenon before the 1998 World Cup final.
For those looking for a more relaxed viewing experience, captains it could be just the ticket. The netflix The original documentary follows the patterns of the 32 sides competing in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, including eventual tournament winner Lionel Messi.
If you’re looking for a reasoned critique of the tournament, this won’t meet your needs, but for those interested in what’s happening on the pitch and in the dressing room, this is ideal.
Despite being one of the most well-documented stories of recent years in English football, Welcome to Wrexham is the official documentary of the rise of the Welsh group’s divisions under the ownership of Hollywood duo Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
The multi-series documentary offers an insight into how the two actors bought the club and its management, with Wrexham’s ultimate goal of reaching the Premier League.
Cup 71 offers audiences a first-hand retrospective account of the 1971 Women’s World Cup, which was played in front of huge crowds – reportedly 100,000 for the start of the tournament in Mexico – but from then it has been largely ignored.
The documentary interviews those who took part in the tournament from various nations, offering a well-told and forgotten story.
Now for something completely different.
A loose definition of a football documentary, this is one for the tabloids. Of course, Coleen Rooney: The True Story of Wagatha follows the controversial drama surrounding Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy, the wives of former England strikers Wayne Rooney and Jamie Vardy.
Coleen Rooney suspected that someone was leaking stories about her to the British press and set a trap to discover the culprit. Spoiler alert, it’s… Rebekah Vardy.
