10 Best Football Documentaries Of All Time

4. Diego Maradona

Diego Marradona Documentary
HBO

Unlike the Class of '92, Asif Kapadia's documentary Diego Maradona is a hagiography in the truest sense: for the people of Naples, El Diego is a saint whose fresco sits right alongside Janaurius'.

Maradona signed for Napoli in 1984, and before he'd even kicked a ball, fans in the city welcomed him like the second coming of the Messiah. 75,000 people flocked to the San Paolo stadium just to see him perform a kick-up routine. It goes without saying, then, that there was considerable pressure on the Argentine to deliver - and he did, almost single-handedly dragging Napoli to two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup triumph.

Much like Kapadia's previous benchmark Senna captured the personal turmoil motorsport heaped upon its eponymous subject, Diego Maradona chronicles the almost impossible demands only a player of his God-given talent could endure - and meet. Ultimately, it'd lead to his downfall. That makes this a fascinating, often uncomfortable watch.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.