With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to kick off on June 11, there's never been a better time to fall in love with soccer. Fortunately, you don't need to learn the (tedious) offside rule or spend your weekends shouting at referees to understand the beautiful game.
From gripping World Cup documentaries to fascinating stories about icons like Pelé and Maradona, these 10 soccer shows will have you hooked long before the first whistle blows.
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Captains Of The World (Netflix)
If you're only going to watch one soccer documentary before the 2026 World Cup, make it Captains Of The World. This superb Netflix series follows the biggest stars of Qatar 2022, from Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé to Harry Kane and Luka Modrić, as they chase the sport's ultimate prize. Combining behind-the-scenes access with incredible match footage, it captures the pressure, drama and emotion of the World Cup with all the verve and style of Maradona.
All or Nothing: Brazil National Team (Prime Video)
Few teams carry the weight of expectation quite like Brazil, and All or Nothing: Brazil National Team offers a fascinating look inside international soccer's most famous squad. Following Brazil during the 2019 Copa América, the series provides rare access to players, coaches and dressing rooms while exploring what it means to represent a nation obsessed with the beautiful game. Even casual sports fans will find themselves swept up in the emotion.
Matchday: Inside FC Barcelona (Prime Video)
You don't need to support Barça to enjoy Matchday. This fly-on-the-wall documentary follows one of soccer's biggest clubs during a turbulent season that featured Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Gerard Piqué. Going beyond the tabloid headlines, it reveals the (frankly insane) politics involved in running a global sporting institution. You get to see some pretty spectacular goals, too...
Maradona in Mexico (Netflix)
Part sports documentary, part character study and part fever dream, Maradona in Mexico follows Diego Maradona during his unlikely spell managing second-division Mexican side Dorados de Sinaloa. The doc captures the larger-than-life personality in his final years. It's not dissimilar to 2003's Paul Gascoigne "Gazza" in China, which capture's Britain's answer to Maradona as he attempts to bring soccer to Asia (available to watch for free on YouTube).
Becoming Champions (Netflix)
Want a crash course in World Cup history ahead of the 2026 tournament? Becoming Champions is the perfect place to start. Each episode focuses on a different nation that has lifted soccer's biggest trophy, exploring the players, tactics and cultural moments that helped define their success. It totals nine hours, so you may want to start binging it ASAP...
The World According To Football (Paramount+)
Most soccer documentaries focus on famous players and famous clubs. The World According To Football takes a very different approach. Hosted by Trevor Noah (The Daily Show), the series explores soccer around the world. From Rwanda and Qatar to Brazil and the United States, it asks whether soccer culture can benefit communities... or does it just encourage tribalism and fighting?
U.S. Against the World: Four Years with the Men’s National Soccer Team (HBO Max)
Rewind 30 years and soccer was barely a 'thing' in North America. The MLS has only just been founded and the idea of Lionel Messi playing in the USA would have sounded ridiculous. Now, as the USA prepares to host the 2026 World Cup, this documentary follows the rice of soccer in the States – through the lens of the US Men's team.
Onside: Major League Soccer (Apple TV)
Produced with the same slick storytelling that made Drive to Survive a phenomenon in the Formula 1 community, Onside: Major League Soccer offers a engaging introduction to soccer in North America. Get up-close-and-personal with players, coaches and clubs throughout an MLS season, as rivalries boil over and transfer drama hits the headlines.
Soccer Shrines (Peacock)
Soccer is about more than trophies and superstar players. Soccer Shrines celebrates the stadiums, neighborhoods and communities that give the sport its soul. Each of the 13 episodes focuses on an iconic soccer location around the world, uncovering traditions, stories and 'quirky' supporters. The Buenos Aires episode is probably the closest Soccer Shrines comes to explaining why soccer supporters describe stadiums as cathedrals. La Bombonera looks like it might lift off the ground every time Boca Juniors score.
Pelé (Netflix)
We saved the best for last... Before Messi. Before Ronaldo. Before Mbappé. There was Pelé. This excellent Netflix documentary (84% on Rotten Tomatoes) chronicles the life and career of the Brazilian legend who helped transform soccer into a global phenomenon. Featuring archive footage, interviews and remarkable insight into Brazil's turbulent political landscape, Pelé explains why many still consider him the greatest player the sport has ever produced. An ideal starting point for anyone new to soccer and wondering what all the World Cup fuss is about.
