April 1 – We all love a bit of football and there are some amazing movies out there to keep us engrossed. Full of emotion and passion, they can take us away from it all.
Top movies of the gambling world are naturally full of drama and intrigue. There is a whole load of money on the line and the gamblers are to win or lose it all. It might surprise you, or not, that films about football are full of all the same emotions. There are millions and millions of pounds on the line each game and for the fans around the globe, the result is everything. Therefore, there are some amazing movies about football out there that can inspire us.
Here we look at the top 7 inspirational football movies.
The Two Escobars
The Two Escobars is a film focused on the lives of two Columbians. One of the lead characters is a football player and the other a drug baron. The footballer led the Colombian football team to massive success. It peaked in the 1994 World Cup when the Colombian team impressed the soccer world with their performance.
Pablo Escobar led a more notorious life, marked most notably with an escape from a prison via a tunnel underneath a toilet.
This is a documentary film that tells the story of the moment the two men met and changed the country and football in columbia forever. It is an emotional and powerful story that inspires you to believe that one individual can make a difference.
Zinedine Zidane is a legend of the footballing world. He is someone who inspired a million youngsters into the game who aspired to his quality. In this documentary film, the camera follows him throughout a 90 minutes of a single game. It was filmed during a match, when Real Madrid played Villarreal in 2005. It even mapped his red card in the match, all set to a brooding soundtrack. It is a portrait of intensity, passion, and a footballing brain.
Once in a lifetime: The extraordinary story of the New York Cosmos
Soccer might be experiencing a resurgence in the US right now, there was another league that rose to prominence before falling into disarray. The North American Soccer League and the short and illustrious success of The New York Cosmos go together.
Once in a Lifetime is the story of the Cosmos beginning in the 1960s and ending in 1985. It tells the story of greed and girls, with the odd goal on the pitch to boot. The team enjoyed the talent of some of the most famous players, including Pele, Beckenbaur, Alberto and Chinaglia.
With interviews from the original superstars of the team and some footage of games played. It is all topped off wonderfully with the narration of actor Matt Dillon.
Fever Pitch
It is true that the movies so far have all been documentaries. So, let’s turn to a more fictional world and a funny one too. Nick Hornby’s novel was captured in this wonderful adaptation starring Colin Firth. Paul Ashworth, the main character, is a teacher and a massive Arsenal fan. This is a love triangle with a difference, as Ashworth looks to manage his relationship with football and his partner.
The Firm
Can a film about football hooliganism be considered inspirational? Well, this is a movie that went on to inspire The Football Factory and Green Street Hooligans. This film is based on the antics of Inter City Firm, West Ham supporters, and their activities in the 1970s and 80s. The film is another looking to focus on how a man manages two loves – but also how a sport can give you a sense of community and togetherness too.
The Damned United
Starring Michael Sheen as Brian Clough, this film follows the eccentricities of the manager when he was in charge of Leeds United. He was only manager for 44 days – and this is a film that brings to life the fictionalized novel on the true life story.
Number 1 football film of all time
So far, we have not looked to give a hierarchy for these movies, as they are all so different and unique. However, Escape to Victory deserves to be the top movie of all time. The film includes Sylvester Stallone, Pele, Bobby Moore and Michael Caine. The film is considered a war film more than a football film, and charts the escape of a group of Allied prisoners of war. They challenged the German officers to a football match – and then escaped at the time of the match. It is a footballing classic.
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