England shocked the nation last night (July 3), when they beat Colombia in a round of penalties at this year’s World Cup in Russia. Progressing to the quarter finals of the tournament with their first win at the knockout stage since 2006, football fever has gripped the country, and cries of “It’s coming home!” can be heard wherever you go (except perhaps Scotland). To celebrate, we’re taking a look at some of the biggest and best football movies that we can all settle down and watch ahead of England’s next match against Sweden, this Saturday (July 7).
6. Bend It Like Beckham
Despite not winning approval from her family, young Jess Bhamra (Parminder Nagra) chases her dreams of playing football in a local women’s team, fighting against adversary and the societal norms that have been put in place for decades. Proving she’s more than capable of getting the job done alongside her equally-talented friend Jules (Keira Knightley), the duo help send their local team to the top of its league, before winning the attention of football scouts and turning their passion into a fully-fledged career. This is a real feel-good movie; a truly timeless classic that gets better with every watch.
5. There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble
Lewis McKenzie takes on the titular role of young Manchester lad Jimmy Grimble in this memorable movie from 2000, in which audiences see the bullied youngster gifted a pair of football boots that once belonged to a Manchester City legend. Told that they’re magical and will help him on his way to stardom within the sporting world, Jimmy will come to realise that his talents have been in him all along, and the boots simply work to help him dig deep and bring that skill to the forefront. An infectious flick that also stars the likes of Ben Miller, Robert Carlyle, and Coronation Street’s Samia Longchambon.
4. One Night in Turin
This 2010 documentary from James Erskine does an incredible job of pulling together all of the emotions and political context that surrounded the 1990 FIFA World Cup, looking at how the event was almost completely overshadowed by hooliganism, and following England’s journey right up until their defeat to Germany on penalties in the tournament’s semi-final. Using archive footage and recreated scenes, cinematographer Lol Crawley does well to build tension and suspense, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats, despite the already-established outcome. Though England don’t come away with the win, patriotic audiences will come away from this with a real sense of pride.
3. Fever Pitch
Are you living with a partner who just doesn’t understand your obsession with the beautiful game? Sit down with them and crack on Fever Pitch, starring Colin Firth. Adapted from Nick Hornby’s book of the same name, and with an incredible script that allows the perfect portrayal of the angst the most loyal of football fans go through, this movie is perhaps the single most relatable piece of film around for those who love watching a load of men chase a ball around a pitch.
2. Mike Bassett: England Manager
This 2001 satirical comedy comes from filmmaker Steve Barron, and stars the always funny Ricky Tomlinson in the leading role of Mike Bassett. Finding himself as the manager of the England squad, Bassett’s journey is one filled with surprises. Though the team aren’t expected to do anything special throughout their World Cup run, they manage to make it to the semi-finals, where they take on host nation Brazil. The film is packed full of jokes that any football fan worth their salt will pick up on, along with some brilliant cameos from the likes of Pelé, Ronaldo, and even Atomic Kitten. A strange watch, but an essential one.
1. Two Escobars
We may have beaten Colombia in last night’s game, but perhaps what we should be most thankful for is that Pablo Escobar is no longer with us! A huge fan of football, the infamous drug baron saw the game as one of the best ways to launder his ever-expanding cache of cash! In this movie, we see Pablo’s story intertwined with that of Colombian athlete Andrés Escobar; two unrelated figures from the country, but a duo that would be brought together in other ways. In purchasing the team that Andrés played for, Pablo and the footballer would become close friends, and that’s the relationship explored in this fantastic documentary.
MORE: What does it mean to dream about football during the World Cup?