This year, FIFA’s World Cup will be different. One of the most important sports events in the world will be held in Qatar, and in November, mobilizing crowds of fans filled with expectation.

So, if you’re one of those fans, what can you do while you wait? 

We suggest watching the best soccer documentaries!

Why the wait?

The World Cup will be held from November 21, opening at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, and the grand finale will take place on Sunday, December 18, at the Lusail Stadium in the capital city of Doha, just a week before Christmas. This is the first time that the famous competition will take place in a Middle Eastern country. The first time that the competition will be held in the Autumn season of the Northern Hemisphere, due to the high temperatures of the host country during the summer.

The final draw is scheduled for April 1 (local time), and the participating teams will be drawn into four different pots. The draw order will be based on the FIFA/Coca-Cola men’s world rankings which will be published the day before. This draw will establish the position in which the 32 participating teams will be placed at the start of the competition. 

So, in these remaining months, maybe you could make the wait sweeter by watching one of these documentaries: 

Diego Maradona (2019)

This documentary about one of the best soccer players in history, Diego Armando Maradona, was directed by Asif Kapadia. Through hours of unpublished footage, the documentary tells the story of the soccer star from his beginnings to his retirement, passing through the most significant achievements of his career.

Messi (2014)

Directed by Álex de la Iglesia, this documentary shows Leo Messi’s career and his rise to stardom that has led him to become one of the best players in the world. It talks about his time at FC Barcelona and how he managed to give hope to millions of people with his sporting prowess.

Concrete Football (2016)

The documentary directed by Jesse Adang and Syrine Boulanouar shows the importance of street soccer in the suburbs of France. It gives a glimpse into the social dynamics around soccer and how it can change many lives.

Fernando Torres: The Last Symbol (2020)

José Ortuño and Laura Alvea show in this documentary the life of soccer star Fernando Torres ‘El Nino.’ The film takes us through the most important events that earned him his fame, such as his time at Liverpool, Chelsea, and as captain of Real Madrid. In addition to this, it shows the importance of mental health and its negative effect on athletes under so much pressure.

Pelé (2021)

And we can’t talk about soccer without mentioning Pelé, whose name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento. Ben Nicholas and David Tryhorn focus on the life, achievements, and prejudices that one of the greatest players ever seen, and the only one in history to have won three World Cups (1958, 1962, and 1970), had to face.