Children love movies to watch when they are looking for time to kick back and relax after playing in the garden. Some children also watch films when they are on a long car journey or in bed so it’s always good to get a good film to distract them. If your child is passionate about football then we have some good news for you. We have listed our top picks for children football movies for them to watch.
We wanted to include all ages including the much younger ones to give parents the opportunity to find the perfect movie for their child. Nothing is more satisfying than getting an hour silence from the children that’s for sure.
Table of Contents
1) Goal!: The Dream Begins
This is a film that most of my generation grew up on and is still as iconic as it once was back then. It was produced in 2005 and is about a very talented young man called ‘Santiago Munez’ who was spotted by a Newcastle scout at the time.
This is where the journey begins, he gets to experience playing football as a professional in one of the biggest leagues. Playing in the Premier League doesn’t get much more exciting than that. What makes this film great for the children is it features a first-person visual of ‘Santiago’ playing football. It almost feels like you are the one playing for Newcastle.
Don’t be mistaken for where Newcastle are in today’s Premier League because this film dates back a few years. This was when Newcastle was in the greatest form ever back when Alan Sheerer was up top for them. Playing alongside him would have been anyone’s dream, especially for Santiago Munez who traveled over 6000 miles away from his family to try out.
Goal!: The Dream Begins is by far one of the most highly-rated children’s football movies and although the sequels don’t quite live up to expectation. This one is a true fan favourite.
2) Bend It Like Beckham
Although Bend it like Beckham was released back in 2007 it is still empowering and probably more relevant as the years go on. It is a great adaptation about women wanting to become professional football players.
The movie is set in Hounslow in London and tells the story of Jess who comes from a traditional Indian family. This means that they are not usually the biggest fans so Jess plays it in secret without her mother knowing. In fact, her mum wanted her to learn how to prepare a complete Indian meal and then go on to marry a nice Indian boy.
The inspiration behind the name is that one of Jess’s football icons is none other than David Beckham. I mean if you grew up in that era with David Beckham playing football, there was no doubt he was one of the biggest icons back then.
Jess is spotted playing football in the park by Juliette, played by Kiera Knightley (one of the earliest films in her career). Juliette already plays for Hounslow Harriers which is a woman’s team, she then goes on to recruit Jess.
Now they are both playing for the same team, they form a strong bond and become best friends. They both have the same dream in mind, that is to play for England one day. They even discover the fact that they have a crush on the same person, their coach…
The director of this film, Gurinder Chadha is wonderful at telling a story and has a great instinct for human comedy. This is what makes the film so appealing, it is the non-stop comedy that makes you feel good and laugh.
3) Strike
Now, this is a great film for your little ones, it is animated, has adventure and a bit of comedy. If your child is young and loves football, this is the film for them. All children love and are easily entertained by animated films so sit back and enjoy some quiet whilst they soak it all in.
The film is about Mungo the mole who lives in Diggington which is a gold mining town. His family are a long line of miners and that is what they want for Mungo. However, Mungo wants to follow his dream of becoming a football player. Whilst his father disapproves of his love for football as he wants him to continue the tradition of being a miner.
His mother, on the other hand, is encouraging him to follow his dreams as every mother should. Luckily for Mungo, he got his opportunity to play footballer in the hopes of saving his hometown from the ‘The Boss’. An evil, greedy supervillain of this story.
The director, Trevor Hardy has done a great job of including something for everyone. It is a great family film to sit your young kids down to watch. You might even find that you secretly enjoy it yourself as the film is captivating and easy to watch. At the end of the film, you might even find your children cheering for Mungo.
4) Alex & Me
This film is perfect for your young girls as it is captivating and shows what determination and hard work can achieve. It is about a young girl called Reagan who wants to become a football player but is first, turned away from a club for not being good enough.
Her idol is none other than Alex Morgan, who plays for The United States’ Women’s Team. Reagan has a poster in her bedroom of Alex and then one day, it comes to life. All Reagan wants, is someone to train her and what better person than Alex.
Without her parent’s support, she requires someone else to believe in her and Alex does exactly that. Morgan then goes on to train Regan in hopes of one day achieving her dream of also becoming a professional football player.
After receiving training from Alex Morgan, she finds a team that needs just one more player to fill a club. In steps Reagan, wanting to showcase her new soccer skills but underestimates the team she signed up for. Little did she know, they would go on to win a match.
This film is inspirational for all the young females wanting to get into football that has minimal support around them. It is a true feel good and relatable film to watch and is available on digital streaming services and DVD. One of the greeted children football movies for girls in my opinion.
5) Early Man
Now if your children are looking for great entertainment in the form of a film then the Early Man is for them.
Set in the early ages, a caveman named Dug goes on to be the hero of the story. Directed by Nick Park who is also the mind behind Wallace and Gromit. That’s right, the film we all grew up watching and loved. Now our children get to enjoy something very similar.
Their area is threatened by a nearby Bronze Age society that captures Dug’s family and takes them back to their kingdom. Dug who sneaks into the kingdom to try and free his family ends up on the football pitch. Not knowing what the sport is or how to play it but agrees to play a match against the bronze age. On one condition, if they win his family will be left alone but if they lose they must become miners.
Lord North, played by Tom Hiddleston believes his team are far superior and will win easily. This is because their team are professionals and Dug doesn’t even know how to play football yet. They find an ally in Goona who was forbidden to play against the arena’s men but she wants to prove her skills on Dug’s team.
The film is lighthearted, easy to watch and great entertainment for your children. This movie has a bit more to it than a typical children football movie as it has more of a twist but either way, still a great watch.
