Five Netflix football movies every FIFA World Cup fan should watch
If your screen time has absolutely gone through the roof this past month, don’t beat yourself up… Instead, blame the football World Cup. Every day of FIFA 2026 brought something to yap about. Another unexpected result nobody saw coming and another worldie that will be getting replayed on highlight reels for years.
This is the part of the tournament where everybody suddenly reckons they are the next footy expert, isn’t it? Come on, people are arguing over every single kick. That’s the World Cup for you. It takes over your whole life without you noticing.
The only downside is, even with the biggest tournament in football in full swing, you have still got them annoying little gaps between matches. And let’s be honest, there are only so many times you can stick the highlights back on before your feed starts showing you the same ones. Give it a rest, eh.
So if you’re after something to keep that FIFA buzz going while you’re waiting for the next kick-off, Netflix has got a few films that are well worth chucking into your matchday routine.
Five Netflix football movies every FIFA World Cup fan should watch
The Beautiful Game (Thea Sharrock, 2024)
The Beautiful Game is one of those films that reminds you that football is more than just ninety minutes and three points. Sometimes it can give someone a fresh start when life has dealt them an absolute stinker. Bill Nighy’s Mal’s the gaffer of England’s Homeless World Cup team, and he takes gifted striker Vinny over to Rome, hoping the man can fire them to glory. The problem is Vinny has got all the tekkers in the world, but his own pride keeps getting in the way.
The best thing is, it’s actually inspired by the real Homeless World Cup, which is held every year for players who have experienced homelessness. And lots of former players are actually in the film, so when the football is on, it feels real, and none of them is cheesy training montages trying too hard. Colin Farrell even got involved behind the scenes as one of the producers because he has been supporting the tournament for years. Aye, it gets a bit emotional here and there, but it never forgets it’s about the game.
Home Team (Charles Kinnane & Daniel Kinnane, 2022)
After that, you’ll have the Home Team that sees Kevin James swapping all his usual daft dad carry-on for an NFL headset… don’t worry though, he still makes a show of himself half the time. He plays New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, who ends up back home while he is suspended from the league and decides to lend a hand coaching his son’s youth team. Sean knows all the fancy tactics at the top level… the kids, meanwhile, can barely string one play together without causing absolute carnage. It’s hilarious!
The fun part is, the whole thing’s actually based on something that really happened. While he was suspended back in 2012, Sean Payton genuinely coached his son Connor’s middle-school team. Mad, isn’t it? If you just want something easy to stick on between World Cup matches, it’ll do the trick. Expect plenty of laughs and scrappy little kids running around.
American Underdog (Andrew Erwin & Jon Erwin, 2021)
Don’t let the title throw you off. American Underdog is one of those football stories that pretty much anyone can get behind, even if you have never sat through an NFL game in your life. It follows Kurt Warner, a man nobody gave a chance. He goes undrafted, gets binned off by the Green Bay Packers, and ends up stacking shelves in a supermarket while still hanging onto this dream of making it as a pro. Most people would’ve packed it in, wouldn’t they? Not him. Then, out of nowhere, he gets another crack at it, and it ends up changing his whole life.
And the crazy part is it all actually happened. Kurt Warner really did go from stacking tins on supermarket shelves to leading the St Louis Rams to a Super Bowl win. One of the biggest comeback stories in football, full stop. Yes, yes, it’s American football instead of the proper game we have all been glued to, but the message is exactly the same, innit? Talent will only get you so far. Believing in yourself and refusing to jack it in when everyone else reckons you are finished – that’s what can take a player way further than anybody ever thought possible.
Baggio: The Divine Ponytail (Letizia Lamartire, 2021)
You don’t have to be cheering Italy on every tournament to appreciate just how special Roberto Baggio was. Baggio: The Divine Ponytail follows one of football’s all-time magicians, from his rise through Italian football right up to that unforgettable 1994 World Cup final, where his missed penalty against Brazil became one of the most replayed moments the game has ever seen. But instead of putting him up on some pedestal like he could do no wrong, the film takes you to all the stuff behind the scenes. That includes the nasty injuries and all the personal battles that made him who he was. Some fans might’ve wanted wall-to-wall goals and his glory, but honestly, this makes the story a lot more realistic.
The title is all about Baggio’s famous ponytail because that thing was nearly as iconic as his free kicks. Andrea Arcangeli is amazing as Baggio too. It even goes into how he found Buddhism and how it completely changed the way he looked at life. If you are after ninety minutes of non-stop match footage, you might come away wishing there was a bit more football. But if you have ever wondered what the man behind one of football’s biggest legends was actually like, you need to give this a watch.
The Longest Yard (Peter Segal, 2005)
Yes, it’s American football rather than the World Cup, but hear us out. The Longest Yard is one of those sports comedies that knows exactly what it wants to be. Adam Sandler plays washed-up quarterback Paul Crewe, who ends up banged up in prison and finds himself putting together a team of inmates to take on a bunch of brutal prison guards. If you love films with an underdog spirit, you’ve got to binge this one. And if you’ve spent this World Cup backing every little dark horse that comes along, you’ll get why this one is such a laugh.
And the cast is amazing, honestly. You’ve got Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds, Terry Crews, Bill Goldberg, Michael Irvin, plus a load of former NFL stars knocking about. Even better, Burt Reynolds comes back after starring in the original 1974 film; only this time he is coaching the inmates instead of playing quarterback. Nice little nod.,