The Top 10 Best Soccer Movies
This List of Soccer Movies Goes Out to Sports Fans Outside the USA.
I’ve come to the realization that I’ve pretty much covered America’s love of sports with Top 10 Lists for baseball, football, and basketball. That’s why this week, I’m going international by counting down the 10 best soccer movies (AKA football in the rest of the world). I’ll admit, I only usually watch soccer during the World Cup, but considering it’s the most popular sport in the world I figured it’s only right for me to give it a shot. Strangely enough, there aren’t a whole lot of decent soccer movies out there (lots of documentaries though), but I managed to root through them all and came up with a pretty solid list that’s sure to please fans of the sport. As I said, I’m not the biggest fan in the world, so here’s hoping I don’t get a red card for the soccer movies that earned a spot on this list. What I don’t know about the sport though, I make up for in movie knowledge. So, lace up your boots, because these flicks are ready to hit the pitch.
10. Fever Pitch
Kicking off this list of soccer movies is a film that isn’t afraid to show just how infuriating sports fans are. Fever Pitch follows the tale of a soccer fanatic (Colin Firth), who is being courted by a fellow teacher (Ruth Gemmell) at the school he works for. The only problem is that she has to compete with his first love, football. The film is a cute romantic comedy that will ring true to anyone who’s had to battle against a sport for their significant other’s love and attention. Then again, there’s a reason why “fan” is short for “fanatic.” Still, Fever Pitch manages to maintain a quaint sense of British charm as it follows the duo over the course of a season. If you do decide to check out this flick, be sure not to get it mixed up with the terrible Drew Barrymore/ Jimmy Kimmel remake.
9. The Match
Nothing goes better with soccer movies than a pint of beer. That’s why it seemed appropriate to include this battle of the bars flick on here. The Match is the tale of a friendly rivalry between two pubs in a small Scottish village, Benny’s Bar and Le Bistro. They’ve played 99 times before and for their 100th match they decide to raise the stakes a little bit by betting the deeds to their respective bars. This would make things interesting if Benny’s hadn’t lost every single previous match. Things aren’t looking good for the bar until a ringer returns home from college. The Match is a quaint little film that shows how soccer brings communities together, especially when booze is involved.
8. She’s the Man
Remember Amanda Bynes? She used to make movies, though I’m not sure anyone would argue that they were any good. However, her Shakespearean inspired flick, She’s the Man, wasn’t actually half bad. In fact, I dare say that it was actually pretty fun. The film follows her as she’s forced to assume her twin brother’s identity in order to play a private high school’s boys only soccer team. Anyone who’s’ read Twelfth Night probably knows exactly where this story’s going but for those of you unfamiliar with the Bard’s work, I’ll fill you in. See, things are going great for her at first as she’s able to trick most of her teammates into thinking she’s, well, the man. However, she catches feels for the team captain (who can blame her, he’s played by Channing Tatum) and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. She’s the Man might not be a great movie, but it’s a fun one deserving of a spot on this list.
7. Green Street Hooligans
Up next on this list of soccer movies is a film about one of the more fascinating aspects of the sport, hooligans. If you thought American sports fans were intense, you ain’t seen nothing until you check out this flick. It follows as an American (Elijah Wood) learns first hand just how crazy the lifestyle is when he gets mixed up with hooligans while visiting London. At first, it seems like a great male bonding experience where the lads can get together and cheer for their favorite squad over a few pints. That is until the violence starts. See, soccer fans are legitimately terrifying and are basically gangs of goons cheering for their team. It’s no surprise that violence often erupts between them and it’s the kind that often makes American fanatics seem prim and proper by comparison.
6. Victory
For those of you who might remember Sylvester Stallone as the punch drunk Italian Stallion, you’ll be surprised to learn that he actually starred in a few other sports movies over the course of his career. As far as this list of soccer movies goes though, we’re only concerned with Victory. Set during World War II, the movie features a group of POWs that get roped into an exhibition match against the Germans. Led by a former professional player (Michael Cain), the prisoners soon learn that this “exhibition match” is a propaganda stunt meant to raise Axis morale. Like any good Allied soldiers, the team decided to stomp some Nazi ass. They’ve got their work set out for them with the German refs willing to look the other way when it comes to unnecessary roughness, but they’ve got a secret weapon in Corporal Luis Fernandez (world soccer legend Pelé).