Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. The rich culture of soccer has produced many inspirational stories. Soccer has inspired generations with the stories of players who rose from nothing and become international sports icons. There are numerous soccer-based documentaries as well as movies available on various platforms. Here, is the list of the top 9 documentaries to watch in 2022 even if you are not a soccer fan:
9. Football’s Most dangerous rivalry (2012)
This documentary is produced by VICE studios. It delves deep into the most ferocious rivalry between two clubs Celtics and Rangers where vice reporters met the supporters and the level of bitterness that inspires violence, racial slurs and hatred can shame rivalry between two countries.
It is available on Vice’s Youtube channel. VICE takes a look at the political, religious, and national identity fights that have nurtured this rivalry.
8. Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In (2021)
This documentary is about the life of the iconic manager of Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson. It is made by his son Jason who has gathered information from other family members. The film contains never seen real clips and also contains insights from former players of Man Utd Ryan Giggs, Eric Cantona, Gordon Strachan, and Archie Knox.
It narrates the story of the most experienced and consistent manager in the world.
7. Becoming Champions (2018)
This documentary is based on the FIFA World Cup champions. It is about the 8 teams who won the soccer world cup from 1930-2018. This documentary gives insights into the struggles, preparedness, and mindset of the teams. There are a total of 9 episodes in the documentary.
This Documentary is a must-watch for every soccer fan to know more about the world’s biggest sporting tournament.
6. All or nothing: Manchester City (2018)
It tells us the story of the re-emergence of Premier League club Manchester City. The arrival of iconic manager Pep Guardiola changed the fate of the team. It narrates the exemplary season of 2017-18 when the City set some extraordinary benchmarks.
Fans can see how a super club operates today and how one of the greatest coaches of all time communicates with young guys as real footage in the film.
5. The Class of ’92 (2013)
The Class of ’92 narrates the story of 6 students of Man Utd academy. It is about the careers of David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, and Paul Scholes. It tells us about how these players reached the top of the sport. Their journey from winning the junior FA Cup in 1992 to Champions League in 1999.
It is an inspirational story that guides many young football players and is nice to watch. Their journey from winning the junior FA Cup in 1992 to Champions League in 1999.
4. Two Escobars
It is about the connection between the drug lord Pablo Escobar and national team captain Andres Escobar as a ‘narco-soccer’ where it is shown how soccer clubs are used to launder money. The documentary explores the mysterious events that led to the death of Andres Escobar.
3. Messi (2014)
The documentary is about the world’s best soccer player who won 6 Ballon d’Or awards, the highest in the world. It narrates the story of Messi from childhood and how a boy from Argentina with exceptional soccer skills become the world’s greatest of all time.
The story is very well put and is delightful to watch. It also features his friends and teammates: Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique, and Andres Iniesta.
2. Pele (2021)
Pele is a documentary about the legendary Brazilian soccer player of all time Pele. It narrates the journey of Pele from childhood, triumph in world cups, and his time in New York cosmos. It also shows the tumultuous political situation in Brazil.
The story of Pele with extraordinary talent to a national hero. The documentary has many clips of games, interviews, and other people’s interviews about him.
1. Diego Maradona (2019)
This documentary film is about the charismatic Argentinian soccer player Diego Maradona directed by Oscar award winner Asif Kapadia. It touches on the life of Maradona and his triumphs. The documentary moves forward with the events around his career and personal life from 1984-1992, his transfer from Barcelona to
Napoli and winning various league titles and the UEFA cup in 1988-89. The story narrates the dark life of Maradona off the field. It is one of the highly-rated sports films and a treat to watch.
| S.No. | Documentary |
| 9 | Football’s Most dangerous rivalry (2012) |
| 8 | Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In (2021) |
| 7 | Becoming Champions (2018) |
| 6 | All or nothing: Manchester City (2018) |
| 5 | The Class of ’92 (2013) |
| 4 | Two Escobars |
| 3 | Messi (2014) |
| 2 | Pele (2021) |
| 1 | Diego Maradona (2019) |
The other documentaries about soccer that you should watch are:
Cristiano: The World At His Feet (2014): The World At His Feet (2014): It is a one-hour documentary of the most charismatic soccer star who came from a humble background and rose to the height of global stardom just by his talent. This documentary was made in 2014 when he was playing for Real Madrid, it examines his life up to that point only.
LPG (2021) is about the US women’s national soccer team fighting for equal pay as the men’s team.