10 Best Soccer Movies Ever

3. Fever Pitch

Fever Pitch
Channel 4 Films

Nobody had ever perfectly captured what it meant to be a football fan until Nick Hornby's book Fever Pitch managed it entirely. The passion, the obsession, the fear, the everything, all of which made up supporting a team in the business end of the 20th century, and all of which made up his novel. The film adaptation took a slightly different approach - specifically putting the love story front and centre - but still just about pulled off the same trick.

Set during the now legendary First Division Championship win for Arsenal in 1989, Colin Firth leads an all-star (at least in hindsight) British cast as a die-hard fan who absolutely lives and breathes his beloved Gunners. Both his job and his love life are secondary considerations to him, and the fortunes of his team matter more than any of it.

Much like the season itself, the movie builds to an enthralling conclusion that I'll not spoil for you here. It's not quite as stunning as Michael Thomas's last-minute goal in the now legendary 2-0 at Anfield, but it's pretty close.

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Managing Editor
Managing Editor

WhatCulture's Managing Editor and Chief Reporter | Previously seen in Vice, Esquire, FourFourTwo, Sabotage Times, Loaded, The Set Pieces, and Mundial Magazine