Best documentaries based on football players

These works of art cover the less travelled road of watching the world through a player's perspective.

Quite a few footballers have inspired millions through their spectacular displays on the field, holding a special place in the hearts of their fans. With the unprecedented time we are in, it is the perfect opportunity for football enthusiasts to look back on the journey of some of the game’s most renowned names. On that note, we picked some incredible documentaries based on football players that you could enjoy and simultaneously gain wonderful insights into the world of these personalities.

Antoine Griezmann: The Making of a Legend

This Netflix documentary provides a glimpse into the rise of French footballer and one of Europe’s most prominent players – Antoine Griezmann. From the early stages of his footballing career where he faced multiple rejections due to his diminutive stature to playing a pivotal role in France’s World cup winning campaign, we witness his growth both as a person and as a player.

After moving to Barcelona last summer, Griezmann had a difficult first year at the Catalans, but if the documentary is anything to go by, one can be assured that the forward will battle his way through to prove his worth.

Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers to ever grace the field. Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia, this immersive documentary focuses on the Argentine’s time at Napoli and the genius of the man. In many ways, his is a classic rags-to-riches story before the subsequent fall caused by his off-field shenanigans.

It is undoubtedly a riveting watch as the viewers can watch footages of him bamboozling defenders with his mesmerizing turn of speed whilst simultaneously learning about his flawed persona away from the pitch, which ultimately became a part of his legend.

Toni Kroos

In this documentary delving into the life of Real Madrid and German midfielder Toni Kroos, his fans and casual observers get a chance to find out more about him and as a result, get to know him better. His teammates, friends, coaches, and family also share fascinating details about the midfield controller. Furthermore, the documentary covers his beginnings in football, time at Bayern Munich and the importance of his family besides throwing light on his humble and down-to-earth demeanour.

Anelka: Misunderstood

During the course of his career, Nicolas Anelka played for a number of top clubs like Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea among others. Despite being an incredible striker, Anelka wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea and had his fair share of controversial moments.

https://youtu.be/lnPxHu6Sx5s

In this Netflix-documentary, Anelka discusses the highs and lows of his career in addition to providing his take on several important matters. Furthermore, the documentary manages to cover his days as a youth player, time in England at Arsenal, move to Real Madrid and many other topics, which makes it a truly compelling watch.

Karim Benzema : Le K Benzema

Karim Benzema is arguably one of the most underappreciated and underrated forwards of this generation. Moreover, the sex scandal issue didn’t do his image in the public any favours. However, Benzema provides his side of things and gives an insight into his life, his persona in this documentary titled “Le K Benzema.”

We also get to meet his parents, friends, teammates and look at the close bond he shares with his current manager Zinedine Zidane. Additionally, the documentary includes his time at Olympique Lyonnais and manages to throw much-needed light on his personality away from the spotlight.

Steven Gerrard: Make us Dream

This documentary released by Amazon covers the life of Liverpool and England legend Steven Gerrard. From guiding his boyhood club to a Champions League win in the most dramatic fashion to falling agonizingly short of winning the elusive Premier League, ‘Make us Dream’ trails the successful career of the Englishman, doing well to include all the different pivotal moments in his journey. It is definitely a must-watch for all Liverpool fans.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Becoming Zlatan

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the most unique characters that football has to offer. He is a decorated footballer, having enjoyed success with the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan besides other top European clubs.

https://youtu.be/7iMH1tiQ0so

The documentary ‘Becoming Zlatan’ as the title so succinctly suggests focuses on the burgeoning stages of his footballing journey, the time he spent at Malmo before moving on to bigger things at Ajax and Juventus. Accordingly, we get to observe firsthand the making of the global superstar and his transformation into becoming one of the biggest names in the world of football.

George Best: All by Himself

Often considered by many as one of football’s first celebrities, George Best is a Manchester United legend, whose incredulous tales are still told by many that watched him. This documentary looks back at his life, breaking out as a prodigious young talent, breathtaking wizardry on the pitch and ultimately the issues he faced in his personal life, mainly his battle with alcoholism, which is covered more extensively in the latter half of the film.

https://youtu.be/BvU3xW1QjCY

Ronaldo

Going from one superstar to another, Cristiano Ronaldo is without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best players of all time. Starring in his documentary ‘Ronaldo’, which came out back in 2015, the Portuguese forward allows everyone a glimpse into his world. Among other things, the film explores the relationship he shares with his son and his mother.

Through the documentary, we begin to slowly comprehend the life of the star striker and his unparalleled determination as well as discipline to his craft. It is quite an interesting movie and would be great viewing experience even for those who do not follow the game.

Messi

Moving on to Ronaldo’s biggest sporting adversary, this documentary titled ‘Messi’ chronicles the rise of Lionel Messi, one of the all-time greats of the sport. The movie is uniquely shot in a restaurant as we are treated to numerable anecdotes from people that know him best. Moreover, clips are shown from his youth days that one might not have come across previously and several other intriguing details can be found in the documentary. One will certainly learn more about the unassuming little magician through the contents of this film.  

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter and join our community on Telegram.