22 World Class Football Movies
5. Escape to Victory (1981)
Director: John Huston
Take Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine, multiply them by icons of football such as Sir Bobby Moore, Ozzie Ardiles and the all-time great Pelé, and have them escaping a WWII prisoner of war camp in and around a football match. That’s Escape to Victory.
6. Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001)
Director: Steve Barron
A parody of everything football from the colloquialisms of commentators, to player stereotypes, to the press surrounding national team tournaments, Mike Bassett is a hilarious insight into the English form of the beautiful game that also packs such a punch that it’ll have you rooting for an England manager just like Ricky Tomlinson’s moustachioed maverick.
Recommended for you: Mike Bassett: England Manager Review
7. Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Football is for everyone. It brings people of all nationalities together, breaking down stereotypes and forging warm and supportive communities.
Bend it Like Beckham embodies this message and is now seen as an emblem of the British screen.
8. Fever Pitch (1997)
Director: David Evans
A football rom-com starring Colin Firth, Fever Pitch is the kind of feel-good nineties rom-com fun that won’t change your world but may be good accompaniment for the quieter nights of any given football tournament or season of mid-table mediocrity.
9. Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager (2018)
Director: Gabriel Clarke, Torquil Jones
He was one of the great football managers in history, an icon of the world’s game. Beloved by all, he was the personification of the grit, determination and kind-heartedness of the region he was from. He was more than a manager, he was Sir Bobby Robson.
Recommended for you: 7 Moments from ‘Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager’ That Will Give You Chills
