(Photo by Paramount Classics/courtesy Everett Collection)
To start playing soccer, all you need is a flat surface, a round ball, a leg or two, and boom, you’re halfway to becoming a regular Diego Beckham. With its low barrier to entry and sky-high skill ceiling, it’s no wonder soccer’s the most popular sport in the world (at least until pickleball takes over — just 2.5 billion more people to go). So when it comes to the best movies ever made about soccer, we’re looking at it top to bottom, from goal-scoring winners to movies that may have flopped before the critics but still managed to find a spot on audiences’ teams.
We kick off our guide to the best soccer movies with Certified Fresh movies, including Offside (the comedy-drama from Iran, released when women were completely banned from attending sports), Bend It Like Beckham (the movie that made Keira Knightley a star), Shaolin Soccer (the outrageous action-fantasy from Stephen Chow), Diego Maradona (a documentary on one of the sport’s most legendary players), Early Man (stop-motion from Aardman Animations), and Looking for Eric (even freakin’ Ken Loach lightened up thanks to soccer). This premier selection of Certified Fresh movies reveals how truly international the sport is, as the only American soccer film in the top 10 is Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos, a revealing documentary on the 1970-1985 soccer club that famously signed Pele.
Beyond the top 10, we look at Fresh movies, including the Robert Duvall-starring A Shot at Glory, the World War II-set Victory, and Elisabeth Shue‘s autobiographical Gracie. Following that are Rotten-rated movies, including the ones that also rep positive Audience Scores like Green Street Hooligans, Mean Machine, and Goal! The Dream Begins. —Alex Vo
#1
Adjusted Score: 96809%
Critics Consensus: A spirited film that explores gender politics with comedy, intelligence, and a variety of interesting characters.
#2
Adjusted Score: 97121%
Critics Consensus: Better than your average football pic, Damned United is carried by another star turn from Michael Sheen as Brian Clough.
#3
Adjusted Score: 93659%
Critics Consensus: Diego Maradona traces the arc of a standard sports documentary, but illuminates its subject with uncommon clarity and depth.
#4
Adjusted Score: 91905%
Critics Consensus: The plot is utterly ridiculous, and the soccer in the movie is unlike any ever played anywhere on Earth, but watching Shaolin Soccer, you will probably find it impossible to care.
#5
Adjusted Score: 90089%
Critics Consensus: Inspiring, compassionate, and with a sly undercurrent of social commentary, Bend It Like Beckham is a lively feel-good movie that genuinely charms.
#6
Adjusted Score: 87474%
Critics Consensus: Ken Loach’s latest is an uplifting, entertaining and amusing socio-drama featuring a match-winning performance from Eric Cantona.
#7
Adjusted Score: 82675%
Critics Consensus: You don’t have to be a soccer fan to enjoy this stylish, breezy slice of 1970s sports history.
#8
Adjusted Score: 89318%
Critics Consensus: Early Man isn’t quite as evolved as Aardman’s best work, but still retains the unique visuals and sweet humor that have made the studio a favorite among animation enthusiasts.
#9
Adjusted Score: 100585%
Critics Consensus: Finding beauty in sports beyond the mere satisfaction of winning, Next Goal Wins is a moving documentary filled with a lovable array of underdogs.
#10
Adjusted Score: 90386%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#11
Adjusted Score: 87445%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#12
Adjusted Score: 24945%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#13
Adjusted Score: 89989%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#14
Adjusted Score: 87749%
Critics Consensus: The Keeper strays into easy sentimentality, but this fact-based drama’s warm spirit makes its indulgences easy to forgive.
#15
Adjusted Score: 85864%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#16
Adjusted Score: 49114%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Starring:
#17
Adjusted Score: 84648%
Critics Consensus: Perhaps at penalty for being overtly conventional, Pelé rewards fútbol fans with incredible archival footage of a king on the field while peripherally examining his relationship with Brazil’s politics.
#18
Adjusted Score: 82276%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Starring:
#19
Adjusted Score: 75949%
Critics Consensus: A gritty portrayal of modern day family life in Sao Paulo , with vividly drawn characters and an uncompromising resolution.
#20
Adjusted Score: 77021%
Critics Consensus: Despite its fair share of sports movie cliches, Rudo y Cursi marks an auspicious directing debut for Carlos Cuarón, and features strong performances from García Bernal and Luna.
#21
Adjusted Score: 22438%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#22
Adjusted Score: 70078%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#23
Adjusted Score: 63519%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#24
Adjusted Score: 50140%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#25
Adjusted Score: 58989%
Critics Consensus: Zidane, Un Portrait du 21E Siecle hits surprisingly few of the expected documentary beats, but the end result is still uniquely immersive.
Starring:
#26
Adjusted Score: 65080%
Critics Consensus: Gracie can be rousing and touching in spots, but is ultimately undone by its predictable story arc and a lack of nuance.
#27
Adjusted Score: 56232%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#28
Adjusted Score: 31181%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#29
Adjusted Score: 35645%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#30
Adjusted Score: 16637%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#31
Adjusted Score: 47704%
Critics Consensus: When it comes to the subculture of soccer thugs, Green Street Hooligans lacks sufficient insight, and instead comes off as a Fight Club knock-off.
#32
Adjusted Score: 26340%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#33
Adjusted Score: 48169%
Critics Consensus: Shakespeare’s wit gets lost in translation with She’s the Man‘s broad slapstick, predictable jokes, and unconvincing plotline.
#34
Adjusted Score: 45411%
Critics Consensus: Impressive sports action sequences are the highlight, as the run-of the-mill story invokes every known sports movie cliche.
#35
Adjusted Score: 47926%
Critics Consensus: Next Goal Wins finds director/co-writer Taika Waititi with his heart in the right place, even if his crowd-pleasing aim has noticeably strayed from its target.
#36
Adjusted Score: 45908%
Critics Consensus: The script is mediocre and fails to give Ferrell a proper comedic showcase.
#37
Adjusted Score: 8239%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#38
Adjusted Score: 31042%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#39
Adjusted Score: 11376%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#40
Adjusted Score: 16474%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#41
Adjusted Score: 35302%
Critics Consensus: Despite some genuine wit, this crowd pleaser is filled with too many cliches.
#42
Adjusted Score: 10987%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#43
Adjusted Score: 32579%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#44
Adjusted Score: 14964%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#45
Adjusted Score: 10547%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#46
Adjusted Score: 26456%
Critics Consensus: An enthusiastic but ultimately uninspired soccer film.
#47
Adjusted Score: 16942%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#48
Adjusted Score: 5404%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#49
Adjusted Score: 8708%
Critics Consensus: Witless, unfocused, and arguably misogynistic, Playing for Keeps is a dispiriting, lowest-common-denominator Hollywood rom-com.
#50
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#51
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.