Football Documentaries You Must See: The Best Series and Films About the Beautiful Game
Documentary filmmaking allows us to look beneath the surface of professional sports and experience its beauty, pressure, and humanity from a fresh perspective.
Here's an overview of the best football documentaries and series that every football lover should watch at least once.
🎬 All or Nothing (Amazon Prime Video)
A series that became a phenomenon. Cameras follow top clubs like Manchester City, Arsenal, Juventus or Tottenham throughout an entire season. You'll see tactical meetings, player arguments, injuries, and media pressure. Absolute must-watch for anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes of elite football.
Best episodes: All or Nothing: Manchester City (Pep Guardiola at his peak)
🎥 The Class of '92 (2013)
The story of six players (Beckham, Giggs, Scholes, Butt, Neville and Neville) who changed Manchester United and English football. The documentary follows their journey from youth teams to the pinnacle of success. Powerful, nostalgic, and motivational.
Fun fact: Produced by the players themselves!
⚽ Sunderland 'Til I Die (Netflix)
A series tracking the fall of a famous English club from glory to rock bottom. An emotionally powerful documentary showing how football shapes an entire city, people's lives, and regional economy.
Why watch: Shows football from a perspective where every match matters more than you think.
🌟 Becoming Zlatan (2015)
A unique look at the formative years of Zlatan Ibrahimović, one of football's greatest individualists. Follow his journey from Malmö through Ajax to stardom. Most importantly, witness the inner struggle of a street kid who believed he would be the best.
For whom: Fans of character-driven stories and personal struggles.
🇫🇷 Les Bleus: Une autre histoire de France (Netflix)
How did France change through football? This documentary maps the relationship between the nation and its national team from the 1998 victory through identity crises to the 2018 success.
Bonus: Strong political and social themes.
💡 Other Great Documentaries to Watch:
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Take Us Home: Leeds United – The legendary club's return to the Premier League.
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Diego Maradona (Asif Kapadia) – An intimate portrait of genius and tragedy.
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Pelé (Netflix) – Documentary about the icon who shaped football history.
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This is Football – An emotional six-part series about how football influences the world.
🧠 Why Watch Football Documentaries?
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Gain deeper understanding of tactics, coaches' decisions, and player pressures.
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See human stories that cameras never capture during broadcasts.
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Understand football as culture, politics and economics.
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And most importantly: these documentaries will inspire you. Whether you play yourself, coach, or simply love the beautiful game.
Football isn't just ninety-minute matches. The most interesting things often happen off the pitch – in locker rooms, at home, in players' and coaches' minds. And that's exactly where the best documentaries take you. If you enjoy stories, emotions, and unexpected twists from the world of football, keep following us.
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