While there is always an abundance of live football readily available to fans, sometimes it’s refreshing to peek behind the curtain.
That’s where football documentaries come into the equation. 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 are already plenty of excellent docs at our fingertips, whether focused on an individual, team, organisation or issue within football.
Here are 20 of the best football documentaries out there.
With the England Men’s team at one of its lowest ebbs, the Three Lions were offered the chance to redeem themselves at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. Led by manager Sir Bobby Robson and boasting the likes of Gary Lineker and David Platt, England travelled to the Mediterranean looking for salvation in the face of immense public scrutiny.
Given England are yet to win the World Cup since 1966, we know it’s not a perfect ending, but One Night in Turin analyses how perceptions shifted throughout the tournament.
Plus, it’s narrated by the brilliant Gary Oldman.
If we could only recommend one football documentary, this would probably be the one.
The film follows the life of Colombian international Andres Escobar, who was murdered after scoring an own goal that saw his nation exit the 1994 World Cup, and how the events that unfolded relate to famous drug lord Pablo Escobar.
A compelling and difficult watch, The Two Escobars is essential viewing for both football supporters and documentary fans alike.
The Class of ’92 unsurprisingly tells the story of the six Manchester United players that helped inspire a generation of domination, with David Beckham, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt all featuring.
This is another must-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 supporters.
Next Goal Wins follows the trials and tribulations of the American Samoa men’s national football team as they attempted to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. Labelled the ‘worst team in the world’, it’s worth noting that they lost 31-0 to Australia all the way back in 2001.
The story was turned into a feature-length movie by director Taika Waititi in 2023 starring Michael Fassbender, but we would recommend watching the documentary before diving into the film.
If you’re searching for a football documentary that focuses on broader themes with a political edge, then Planet FIFA is one of the best available to you. The film, first released in 2016, analyses corruption within football’s governing body FIFA, with plenty of expert interviews to make a complicated topic simpler.
It follows allegations of rigged FIFA elections, World Cup bribery and questionable advertising deals, offering audiences a detailed look at the murky underbelly of the sport.
Few would argue against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona being the greatest club side the world has ever seen, but here’s some more evidence if required.
Containing interviews with some of the world’s best players during the 21st century – both former Barcelona stars and those who played for rival sides – Take the Ball, Pass the Ball offers the definitive tale of Barca’s brilliance between 2008 and 2012.
Written by Spanish football expert Graham Hunter, this is a must-watch for those seduced by the kings of tiki-taka.
One Night in Turin may look specifically at Italia ’90 but this documentary offers 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 this offers up every detail with a mix of archival footage and interviews.
The film received rave reviews upon its release in 2018 – nine years after Robson’s death – and is just as engaging today.
Sunderland ‘Til I Die is not just for supporters of the Black Cats, it’s a worthwhile watch for any football supporter who truly understands that connection between local people and their team. The documentary beautifully portrays that fandom and the sense of community that football provides in bright and dark days.
There are three seasons of the documentary that are broken up into episodes, with the first series following Sunderland through the 2017/18 season after relegation to the Championship from the 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 across a season, starting with Manchester City all the way back in 2018.
However, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are the other Premier League giants to have invited Amazon Prime’s cameras behind the scenes, with Juventus, Brazil and Germany also participating in past series.
There is a good chance that Leeds United fans across the country have already tuned into Take Us Home: Leeds United, but the documentary makes for compelling viewing no matter your football allegiances.
There are two seasons of the doc that 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 – constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage – allows viewers to be a fly on the wall on a journey throughout the incredible career of the Argentine hero.
Maradona was a genius on the football pitch but suffered with his demons off it, with Diego Maradona showing the good and bad of a truly extraordinary life. The late World Cup winner features in the documentary filmed a year prior to his death.
For many, Sir Alex Ferguson is the greatest manager there has ever been. In this documentary, which includes plenty of interviews with the Manchester United legend, viewers are offered an unrivalled look at the great Scottish coach.
Directed by Ferguson’s son, Jason, the film serves as a perfect tribute to one of football’s most decorated icons, with this 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 is the perfect watch.
Unsurprisingly centred around the England Women’s team and their Euro 2022 triumph, it offers audiences a closer look at Sarina Wiegman’s side and how they defied expectations to bring football home.
England’s Men’s team could do with watching this one.
There have been fewer more troubled characters in British football history than the exceptionally-gifted former England international Paul Gascoigne. A master of the game that captured the hearts of a nation, Gazza digs deeper into the his life both on and off the pitch.
Having struggled with mental health problems and addiction, this documentary shines a light on the issues that plagued one of England’s most talented superstars.
Football’s Coming Out critically evaluates 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 issues surrounding homophobia in football and what will happen when there is eventually an openly-gay player in England’s top division.
For those who lived through the ascent of the Brazilian superstar and for those who have only heard the tales, The Phenomenon: Ronaldo is 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 the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Carlos and Paolo Maldini, with the film revealing what really happened to O Fenomeno prior to the 1998 World Cup final.
For those looking for a more relaxed viewing experience, Captains could be just the ticket. The Netflix original documentary follows the skippers of all 32 sides fighting at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, including eventual tournament winner Lionel Messi.
If you’re looking for a justifiable critique of the tournament then this will not satisfy your needs, but for those purely interested in what happens 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 Welsh outfit’s rise up the divisions under the ownership of Hollywood duo Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
The multi-series documentary offers an insight into how the two actors purchased the club and their stewardship of it, with Wrexham’s ultimate goal of reaching the Premier League coming closer into view.
Copa 71 offers audiences a retrospective first-hand account of the 1971 Women’s World Cup, which was played in front of enormous crowds – reportedly 100,000 for the tournament opener in Mexico – but has been largely ignored since.
The documentary interviews those who participated in the tournament from various nations, serving up a beautifully told and forgotten story.
Now for something completely different.
A loose definition of a football documentary, this is one for the sensationalists. Of course, Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story 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.
