Film Independent Presents the World Cine-Cup 2026
They call it the Beautiful Game. And it is without a doubt it’s THE international game. So it seems fitting that football is a favorite subject for films around the world.
This summer, there’s a little competition bringing the beautiful game to Film Independent’s backyard. And to celebrate, we’re running our own competition where we see which football film YOU love the best, and takes home the cup. We’re putting pieces of art head-to-head in a seeded knockout-style competition, to see whose mise en scène reigns supreme. Head to our Instagram account to vote for your favorites. We’re starting the voting tomorrow in Instagram Stories, and will be having matches through the next month.
While the World Cup has expanded its schedule to a dizzying 104 matches between 48 teams, we’re keeping it to a tight 16 films. Everyone knows that the knockout rounds are the most fun anyways.
Today we’re unveiling the list of competitors, giving you a little about each film, and setting the schedule for the Round of 16. The winners from each of these matches will move on to face another film until a winner is crowned.
(Ed. Note: We acknowledge the greatness of Bend it Like Beckham, but we’ve asked it to hang up its boots and sit this one out in order to give other films a fighting chance.)
Let’s kick things off.
Match 1
8. The Hand of God (2021) 9. Rudo y Cursi (2008)
In a match of highbrow vs. low, Oscar-winner Paulo Sorrentio tells a Neapolitan coming-of-age story in the age of Diego Maradona in The Hand of God, while Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal winnow away their chances at football stardom as two small-town stepbrothers whose talent takes them to cosmopolitan Mexico City and all of it’s temptations in the outrageous comedy Rudo y Cursi.
Where to watch:
The Hand of God: Netflix TRAILER
Rudo y Cursi: Disc TRAILER
Match 2
7. Looking for Eric (2009) 10. The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (1972)
It’s England v. Germany in this match between two European masters. Looking for Eric, directed by Ken Loach, is about a man whose life has fallen apart, and visions of his favorite footballer try to help his life turn around. The angsty The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick, directed by Wim Wenders, follows an off-duty goalie in post-war Germany who just might have gotten away with murder.
Where to watch:
Looking for Eric: Amazon TRAILER
The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick: Criterion Channel CLIP
Match 3
6. The Two Escobars (2010) 11. Those Who Jump (2016)
Two documentaries on opposite sides of the spectrum face of in this match. The Two Escobars is one of the films that made ESPN’s 30 for 30 a phenomenon. It’s an account of murdered Colombian footballer Andrés Escobar and how his paths crossed with drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, told with Hollywood sheen by American filmmakers Jeff and Michael Zimbalist. Those Who Jump was filmed by co-director Abou Bakar Sidibé, a Malian migrant as he films his life in a refugee camp in Morrocco, learning how to shoot video, and playing football with his mates to pass the time as they plan a way to get to Europe.
Where to watch:
The Two Escobars: Disney+ TRAILER
Those Who Jump: Disc TRAILER
Match 4
5. Next Goal Wins (2014) 12. Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001)
Sports fans love a good storyline. This match is full of them. We have two films that focus on the art of managing a football team, two films that are about people with questionable qualifications, two films that went on to have remakes (the bumbling Mike Bassett is definitely one of the models for Ted Lasso). More importantly, you have two films that will give you a good time watching some underdogs try to make good.
Where to watch:
Next Goal Wins: Amazon, Apple TRAILER
Mike Bassett: England Manager: Amazon, YouTube TRAILER
Match 5
4. The Miracle of Bern (2003) vs. 13. Gregory’s Girl (1980)
Somehow whenever a woman plays football in a film, the title is still named after the guy (we’re looking at you, Bend it Like Beckham). Gregory’s Girl is a hormonal yet sweet comedy by Bill Forsyth about a hopeless lad in love with the captain of the girls’ football team, Dorothy. Another football obsessed lad, Matthias, bonds with his father, a POW returned home, over the World Cup in a complex drama about Germany finding a path forward after its Nazi years in The Miracle of Bern.
Where to watch:
The Miracle of Bern: YouTube TRAILER
Gregory’s Girl: Amazon, Apple TRAILER
Match 6
3. Offside (2006) vs. 14. Diamantio (2018)
These two films look at the political side of football in completely different ways. Offside focuses on Iranian women who disguise themselves as men to get into a World Cup qualifying match. Diamantino is a surreal take on a fall from grace narrative where political forces pull on the player who lost the World Cup for his country as he starts a new life adopting a young refugee.
Where to watch:
Offside: Amazon, Apple TRAILER
Diamantino: Amazon, Apple TRAILER
Match 7
2. Goal! (2005) vs. 15. Hermano (2010)
Part of what makes football so beautiful is how egalitarian it is. All you need is a ball, some sort of goal, and your mates. Both Goal! and Hermano are rags-to-riches tales around becoming a football star. Goal! spawned two sequels, and is about a Mexican kid in LA being invited to try out for Newcastle United in England. Hermano is an under-seen Venezuelan film about two brothers of different temperaments, and how their paths diverge when opportunity knocks.
Where to watch:
Goal: YouTube TRAILER
Hermano: Amazon, Apple TRAILER
Match 8
1. Shaolin Soccer (2001) vs. 16. Infinite Football (2018)
This match features two oddballs. Shaolin Soccer when it came out in 2001 was hailed as the return of great physical comedy. It’s weird, it’s wild, it’s full of heart, and has some awesome action scenes. Infinite Football is a 2016 doc about an amateur manager who is developing a whole new system to play the game. He’s idealistic, he’s philosophical, and might be mad, but it’s a thrill to see him put its system in place and try to fix football and the world.
Where to watch:
Shaolin Soccer: Amazon, Apple TRAILER
Infinite Football: Apple TRAILER
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