Whether you like it or not, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is bicycle-kicking its way to North America in a few weeks, bringing with it endless soccer chatter and swamped social media feeds. For my money, the excitement of the World Cup is best experienced in a pub among fans losing the plot over free kicks and absolute missiles screaming past goalkeepers. If 90 minutes of ping-ponging midfield action makes your eyes glaze over, fair play.
However, the film and TV industry has produced a surprising number of soccer-adjacent movies and shows that work well, even if you don’t know your jockeying from your side tackle. The eight picks below that you can stream or rent run the gamut of comedy, character, and culture instead of focusing on the game itself. So even if you don’t like soccer (er, football), you’ll like these.
Ted Lasso
Jason Sudekis’s warm comedy is a good place to start
Apple TV’s 13-time Emmy-winning flagship comedy, Ted Lasso, is probably the best place to start. SNL alum Jason Sudeikis stars as the relentlessly positive Lasso, an American football coach who crosses the pond to manage the fictional AFC Richmond Premier League soccer team. The show’s endearing quality is that the fish-out-of-water Lasso knows nothing about the sport, but it quickly becomes less about a clueless American abroad and more about perseverance, mental health, healing, and midlife reinvention.
It also features one of the best supporting casts on TV, including Hannah Waddington, Brett Goldstein, and Juno Temple. The show was recently brought back for a fourth season, which begins in August.
Welcome to Wrexham
A small-town love letter dressed up as a sports docuseries
When Ryan Reynolds (of Ryan Reynolds fame) and Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) bought a flailing, fifth-tier Welsh football team in 2021, it felt more like a vanity project than anything else. But through its heartwarming Hulu series, now in its fifth season, it’s easy to see how Ryan and Rob got drawn into the working-class town of Wrexham; its passionate fans; pub regulars; and big dreamers. Welcome to Wrexham is a portrait of them, not just the football team that has changed their lives.
QuizSoccer documentaries and docuseries
Trivia challenge
From Wrexham to Beckham — see how much you know about the best soccer docs on screen.
DocuseriesPlayersClubsDirectorsDrama
In ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, which two Hollywood actors purchased Wrexham AFC in 2020?
Correct! Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed their takeover of Wrexham AFC in February 2021. Their unlikely friendship and shared vision for the club became the heart of the FX docuseries.
Not quite. It was Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney who bought the Welsh club. Will Ferrell actually owns a stake in a different MLS team, which might be why that option seemed tempting!
In which English city is the club featured in ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ located?
Correct! Sunderland AFC is based in Sunderland, a city in northeast England. The Netflix series followed the club through its painful back-to-back relegations from the Premier League and beyond.
Not quite — the club is actually in Sunderland, a city in northeast England. It’s easy to mix up northeast English cities, especially since rivals Newcastle are just a short drive away!
The 2023 Netflix documentary ‘Beckham’ covers the life of David Beckham. Which club did he famously join from Manchester United in 2003?
Correct! David Beckham joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2003 in a deal worth around £25 million. His four seasons in Spain were a defining chapter in his career and global celebrity.
Not quite. Beckham left Manchester United for Real Madrid in 2003. He did later join LA Galaxy and AC Milan, but the big headline move straight from United was to the Spanish giants.
Amazon Prime Video’s ‘All or Nothing’ docuseries has followed several top football clubs. Which of these clubs was NOT the subject of an ‘All or Nothing’ series?
Correct! Chelsea have not been the subject of an ‘All or Nothing’ series. Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, and Juventus are among the clubs that have let Amazon’s cameras in for the behind-the-scenes series.
Not quite — Chelsea is the odd one out here. Amazon’s ‘All or Nothing’ has covered Manchester City, Tottenham, and Arsenal, among others, but Chelsea haven’t opened their doors for the series.
The documentary ‘Diego Maradona’ (2019), directed by Asif Kapadia, focuses heavily on Maradona’s turbulent years at which Italian club?
Correct! Maradona’s time at Napoli from 1984 to 1991 is considered one of football’s greatest stories. He led the southern Italian club to their first-ever Serie A titles and became a near-religious figure in the city.
Not quite — the documentary zeroes in on Maradona’s legendary and chaotic years at Napoli. Director Asif Kapadia used over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage to tell that remarkable story.
Netflix’s ‘Break Point’ is a tennis docuseries, but which streaming platform aired the popular soccer docuseries ‘FIFA Uncovered’?
Correct! ‘FIFA Uncovered’ is a Netflix docuseries that examines the corruption scandals within FIFA, soccer’s world governing body. It premiered in 2022 and drew on the infamous FBI investigation that rocked the sport.
Not quite — ‘FIFA Uncovered’ was a Netflix production. The four-part series explored decades of alleged bribery and corruption inside FIFA, making it a gripping watch even for viewers who don’t follow the sport.
Director Asif Kapadia made a soccer documentary before his acclaimed ‘Diego Maradona’ film. Which legendary Brazilian player was the subject of his earlier 2016 documentary?
Correct! Asif Kapadia directed ‘Ronaldo’ in 2015 (released widely in 2016), a documentary about Cristiano Ronaldo. He later turned his lens to Maradona in 2019, cementing his reputation as the go-to director for soccer legends.
Not quite. Asif Kapadia’s earlier soccer documentary was about Cristiano Ronaldo, released in 2015. Kapadia is well known for intimate portrait documentaries, having also made the Oscar-winning ‘Amy’ about Amy Winehouse.
In ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, what league were Wrexham AFC playing in when Reynolds and McElhenney took over — making their underdog story even more remarkable?
Correct! Wrexham were in the National League, the fifth tier of English football, when the two stars took over. Their goal of reaching the English Football League made the journey all the more dramatic and compelling.
Not quite. Wrexham were actually in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football pyramid. That’s what made the Hollywood takeover so surprising — and the eventual promotion so emotional for fans.
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And wow, what they have achieved — the club is the first in English football history to achieve three consecutive promotions. They are currently competing in the EFL Championship. It’s a wild ride to watch, even if you don’t like soccer.
Bend It Like Beckham
A cultural coming-of-age story with bicycle kicks
24 years later, and this comedy-drama still holds up as one of the best soccer-adjacent coming-of-age movies of all time because it’s not about soccer; it’s about Jess (Parminder Nagra), a British-Sikh teenager finding herself while navigating the expectations of her overbearing parents.
Sure, the engine that drives the movie is Jess’s love for soccer, but with a supporting cast that includes a pre-Pirates Keira Knightley and a young Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Bend It Like Beckham is a relatable, funny, and warm-hearted movie that would be a great watch with the kids or teens in your life.
Shaolin Soccer
A gloriously deranged kung-fu soccer kickoff
Before Stephen Chow wrote and directed Kung Fu Hustle, his breakout hit was a completely off-the-wall, slapstick, kung fu comedy with beautifully campy CGI martial arts effects and … soccer. Shaolin Soccer is a classic that’s more Looney Tunes than anything, as it follows a group of disgraced Shaolin monks who discover that their cosmic powers have returned on the pitch — think flaming soccer balls and gravity-defying kicks and moves — and use them to win a tournament against “Team Evil.”
If you liked Ben Stiller’s classic Dodgeball: An Underdog Story, then you will love this, too, as it’s basically the same movie: an underdog team rallies against an evil foe.
The Damned United
A biographical character study of ego, grudges, and soccer
I’d watch anything with Michael Sheen in it. And the Good Omens, Twilight, and Masters of Sex actor is spectacular in The Damned United, a biopic that’s less of a sports film than it is a portrait of brilliance, ego, insecurity, and self-destruction. Sheen is excellent as notorious English football manager Brian Clough, whose 44-day takeover of the reigning champions Leeds United FC in 1974 ended in losses, mutiny, and his eventual sacking (that’s British for fired).
The Damned United is a character study of the charismatic Clough, who was obsessed with besting his rival, former Leeds manager Don Revie (Star Trek: TNG‘s Colm Meaney). You don’t need to know anything about Leeds or football; this movie is a fun train wreck to watch.
Looking for Eric
What if your favorite sports player helped you with your problems?
This is the quirkiest entry on the list, by far, but also might be the most rewarding. Imagine your favorite actor or sports icon by your side, helping you through a tough time. That’s what happens to Eric Bishop (Steve Evets) in Looking for Eric, a fantasy drama from 2009 about a down-and-out Manchester man who somehow starts hallucinating philosophical pep talks from soccer legend Eric Cantona, who plays himself.
Cantona is hilariously deadpan in the role as he joyfully takes the piss (British for making fun) out of his own persona. It’s a charming and light watch as Cantona helps Eric get his life together, and it has a solid 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Mike Bassett: England Manager
Pay no attention to the paltry 40% Rotten Tomatoes score; Mike Bassett: England Manager is a classic, endlessly quoted mockumentary among British audiences, and many have called it the Spinal Tap of football movies. Ricky Tomlinson plays the titular Mike Bassett, a hapless lower-league football manager who somehow gets the reins to the England national team, a job that thankfully comes with a camera crew to document every catastrophe for our viewing pleasure.
It’s British satire at its finest as Bassett assembles a team of drunks, psychopaths, and even a used-car salesman.
The English Game
It’s like Downton Abbey with cleats
As pointed out in the subheading above, The English Game has the distinction of being created by one of the masterminds behind the hit British high-drama Downton Abbey, which bodes well for this six-part Netflix miniseries, as it dwells in the class struggle between the late-19th-century aristocracy and the working class more than in the world of football.
While critics didn’t care much for its iconic story of the transition of football from a sport for the wealthy to a universal national obsession, audiences loved it, rating it an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s period-drama comfort food you can switch to while the World Cup dominates the national narrative.
Skip the World Cup
The 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11. If you’re soccer curious but aren’t quite ready for full-on supporter mode, I hope the roundup above provides some excellent soccer-friendly entertainment, nonetheless.
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Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
