The Best Football Documentaries Of All Time

After the recent success stories of fly on the wall football documentaries such a ‘Sunderland Til I Die’ and Amazon’s ‘All or Nothing’ docuseries, it left the Sporting Ferret team pondering as to what are the greatest football documentaries of all time. In football today, there are certainly no shortages of captivating documentaries available to be watched.

So sit back and grab the popcorn as the Sporting Ferret team select their top picks for football fans to binge on.

1. Diego Maradona (2019)

British filmmaker Asif Kapadia turned his attention to one of football’s biggest enigma’s in his latest archival documentary last year. Kapadia, having already proved himself as one of the greatest biographical filmmakers, dug deep once again into the archives amassing through hundreds of hours of footage to bring his latest creation to life.

With Kapadia’s latest subject many phrases spring to mind . World Cup winner, one of the best to grace the pitch, The hand of God, playboy, cocaine aficionado, party animal. The list could go on.

Diego Maradona is known to the footballing World for the best and worst reasons. Alternating between a somewhat hero and villain caricature throughout his life. Kapadia does an impressive job of weaving together a highly cohesive narrative of the Argentine’s life resulting in a documentary that runs for little over two hours and packs twice the punch.

Kapadia seamlessly brings together the life of Maradona and does away with the conventional filler that so many sporting documentaries include ever too often. The result, as with his other documentaries, creates a Hollywood-esque experience which is impressive as ever.

Maradona does its best to keep you enthralled and ensures a highly enjoyable viewing experience whether you are a fan of the Argentinian maestro or not.

You can watch the film for free currently on 4on Demand.

If you liked this then watch – Senna (2010,) Amy (2015,) Supersonic (2016.)

Diego Maradona swarmed by the press.

2. The Class of 92 (2013)

David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Paul Scholes. Six friends. Six Manchester United players. The Class of 92.

The 2013 Turner Brothers film documents the colossal journey for these six Manchester United players, starting with their FA Cup Youth Team win in 1992 and their seven year journey to achieving the heights of club football, culminating in their 1998-99 Treble-winning season.

On surface level the film details Manchester United’s rise and glory with the class of 92 being centrestage. However delving into the deeper echelons of the film is precisely what makes the documentary a special watch.

The friendships forged, the bonds made, the journey of a lifetime for a group of six friends. These nuances captured and re-lived are what make the film special.

You can currently stream ‘The Class of 92’ on Amazon Prime.

If you liked this then watch – Next Goal Wins (2014,) Undefeated (2011,)  Class of 92: Out of Their League (2014 onwards.)

Class of 92.

3. The Two Escobars (2010)

ESPN’s 30 for 30 series has produced some of the greatest sporting documentaries of all time and this documentary is one of the finest examples of that. The ESPN documentary has been graced by many as the greatest football documentary of all time.

The Two Escobars perfectly interweaves the lives of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar and Colombian international footballer Andrés Escobar. The two were not related however shared the same surname, nationality and fate.

The film documents the sheer influence of drug money inside Colombia, overspilling into that of Colombian football. ESPN provide an insightful examination of how the cocaine trade in Colombia affected football within the country, culminating in the lawlessness that ensued and the heartbreaking demise of Andrés Escobar.

The documentary offers a riveting examination into the intersection of crime, politics and sport which keeps you gripped from beginning until end.

If you like this watch – ESPN 30 for 30 Series

The Two Escobars is able to be watched on the ESPN Player. 

Colombian fans commemorating Andres Escobar.

Honorable mentions

• Orient: Club for a Fiver (1995)
• An Impossible Job (1994)
• All Or Nothing: Manchester City (2018)

If you liked this article then why not check out: 

• The Best Sporting Documentaries of All Time
• Andy Murray: Resurfacing Documentary