Picture from 10 Movies for Soccer Fans
An illegal immigrant dreams of playing professional soccer. But he has to overcome enormous obstacles first. Image ©2006 Buena Vista Pictures

10 Movies for Soccer Fans

The FIFA World Cup kicked off last week under blue skies in Brazil. The world’s most popular sport draws teams (32 this year) and fans from around the globe with an estimated three billion spectators tuning in to the games.

But if you still can’t get enough football/soccer, here’s a list of movies to fill your time between matches.

Based on a true story, The Damned United, follows cocky football coach Brian Clough during his 44 day tenure as coach of England’s top club, Leeds United, in 1974.

Santiago Munez is an illegal immigrant in the U.S. who has always dreamed of playing soccer. He finally get a chance to tryout when British football scout sees the young man play. Unfortunately Santiago’s father is less than supportive of his son’s dream in the move Goal! The Dream Begins.

A 15-year-old soccer player get a chance to join the U.S. National Team in the movie Her Best Move. But while her dad is very supportive, her mother worries about her daughter’s life off of the soccer field.

In The Cup, a 13-year-old monk obsessed with football has a hard time keeping up with his daily rituals during the World Cup and finally convinces three other monks to sneak out of the monastery with him to watch a semi-final game at a local shop.

After her brother dies, Gracie decides to take his spot on the high school’s all-boy varsity team. But the other players aren’t all that excited about having a girl on their team.

Jess doesn’t just have to fight gender issues in order to play soccer. She also has her parents to deal with. In Bend It Like Beckham, this young Indian girl has to sneak out in order to play soccer with the other kids while her mother tries to arrange a customary wedding ceremony for her athletic daughter.

Viola dresses up as her twin brother and attends his prep school with the intention of playing on the boy’s soccer team in the movie She’s the Man. But things get complicated when she starts to fall in love with one of her teammates.

After suffering through grueling practices and dismal games, a group of underdog soccer players finally face off against their opponents in the highly predictable movie The Big Green.

Inspector Jacques Clouseau is called in to investigate after a large diamond called The Pink Panther is stolen and a national soccer coach is murdered.

Nazi officers stage a football game between the Germans and a group of Allied POWs in the movie Victory. But unbeknownst to the Nazis, the prisoners are planning to use the game as a way to escape. The movie stars international soccer star Pelé as one of the Allied players.

More details about the movies mentioned in this post…

The Damned United

The Damned United

Goal! The Dream Begins

Goal! The Dream Begins

Her Best Move

Her Best Move

The Cup

The Cup

Gracie

Gracie

Bend It Like Beckham

Bend It Like Beckham

She’s the Man

She’s the Man

The Big Green

The Big Green

The Pink Panther

The Pink Panther