The Best Football Documentaries Of All Time

When it comes to football, many people’s love stretches far beyond 90 minutes of the beautiful game on a Saturday.

We spend hours betting on it, buying merchandise and following the stars, their trials and tribulations and what goes on behind the scenes.

Getting the inside scoop fans love, and there are tons of documentaries that offer insight into some of the biggest players and best teams in the sport.

But what are the best football documentaries of all time? Here’s our run down of our favourite five…

Next Goal Wins

Next Goal Wins is a fantastic offering that delves into the world of international football in American Samoa.

In the wake of a 31-0 defeat to Australia, the island rang the changes and brought in Dutch coach Thomas Rongen to transform their fortunes. Their aim, to win just one game.

It’s a heartwarming and loving tale of a bunch of misfits that simply love the game and representing their country.

Released in 2014, the film has received rave reviews globally and is comfortably one of the best sports documentaries ever made.

An Impossible Job

The England job is always one of intrigue and intense pressure. At present it’s Gareth Southgate who is in such a position, with plenty of eyes on him, and plenty of expectation too from the terraces to the sports betting markets, where they’re priced at 9/2 favourites to win Euro 2020 next summer, despite being a team full of inexperience. They’re a side always built up by fans and the bookies, with every two years intense scrutiny falling upon them.

That’s because people can bet anytime anywhere now. Consider some of the major brands. Betfred has one of the best mobile apps on the market, and it allows people to place their bets on the England team, or even the managerial markets while directly watching an England game. This, alongside the thousands of journalists and millions of spectators makes it a truly intense role.

And it’s that pressure which has defined many former England managers’ careers.

An Impossible Job follows Graham Taylor’s spell in charge between 1990 and 1993. He followed Bobby Robson, who reached the Semi Finals of the World Cup with the Three Lions, but it was also a side in transition.

It follows the plight of their World Cup 1994 qualification, which they ultimately failed at.

The film itself shows that failing from the inside, but ultimately displays Taylor as a kind, humble and principled man.

Sunderland ‘Till I Die

More recently Sunderland ‘Til I Die has been a real phenomenon but is also a series which has been executed really well.

It charts the downfall of Sunderland, who have been ailing in League One for the last few seasons. It’s an honest and hugely interesting view of a football club struggling and is a must watch for fans of any club.

The Netflix special now has two seasons and strips away the glitz and glam of the game down to its very core.

Diego Maradona

No man has been more controversial, and in many people’s view no man has been better than Diego Maradona.

There are many documentaries about the Argentinian legend, but Diego Maradona is perhaps the very finest.

Directed by Asif Kapadia, the man behind Senna and Amy, the documentary charts his time at Napoli. It’s a city that was transformed by Diego, and to this day he is a man loved by Naples.

In some cases, it’s a story that beggars belief, with the Mafia featuring heavily, alongside the crazed fans that enjoyed the ride to the Serie A title and UEFA Cup.

Kaiser! The Greatest Footballer Never To Play Football

Kaiser is the greatest footballer to never play the game. Based upon the “career” of Carlos Kaiser, the documentary charts the sensational rise of the player, who enjoyed contracts at the likes of Botafogo, Flamengo, Bangu and Fluminense despite having never played a single game.

He mixed with the Brazilian elite, was involved in the underworld and ultimately blagged his way out of many unfortunate, and hilarious scenarios.

It’s a remarkable story and one that is told perfectly in this 2018 documentary.