7 Inspiring Soccer Documentaries to Stream

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In these nonfiction accounts, the sport is a force for hope in sometimes dire situations.

By Carlos Aguilar

The global prominence of soccer means the sport has fans from all walks of life and sometimes in the unlikeliest of places. Documentarians have found stories where soccer is played amid sociopolitical turmoil or where it serves as a community-building balm among those living on the margins.

With the World Cup putting a spotlight on the sport, here are seven real-life stories that use soccer as an inspirational force.

2021

‘Captains of Zaatari’

Stream it on Kanopy or rent it on Apple TV

The future is uncertain for Fawzi and Mahmoud, Syrian teenage boys who are best friends, living in a Jordanian refugee camp. Their talent for soccer, however, acts as a lifeline that could potentially help them and their families out of hardship. When they are picked to attend a renowned sports academy abroad, their unlikely dream begins to materialize. This observational documentary makes clear that the young men carry the hopes of many on their shoulders.

2024

‘Copa 71’

Stream it on Kanopy or rent it on most major platforms.

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