An unscripted form of entertainment — that is how the concept of sports was conceived in the medieval age. Sporting activities were often looked at as a means of leisure for the opulent. Over time, the definition of sports has evolved. Today, it is a way of livelihood.
However, the one thing that hasn’t changed about sports is its unpredictability. By nature, it is uncertain — there is no set formula for tasting success in sports. Anything can happen at any moment; that is its beauty. And it holds true for every sporting discipline.
Since sports is unscripted, the best way to capture its essence and project it on the silver screen is through documentaries.
While biopics are fun and enjoyable, they contain certain elements of dramatisation. Filmmakers and screenplay writers exercise their creative liberty to some extent (or in some cases, to a great extent where the original incidents are altered). Documentaries, on the other hand, are slices of life. They beautifully narrate the tale of an athlete or a particular episode of sporting history without having to rely on fictitious characters and incidents. The audience can connect more with the sport through a documentary than any adaptation of a real-life story.
Over the years, we have been treated to numerous documentaries that have made us laugh, cry and revel in the success of the sports personalities. The latest to join this list is a movie on Roger Federer. Titled Federer: Twelve Final Days, the documentary chronicles the swansong of the Swiss legend’s career before he bid adieu to tennis. It will be released on Amazon’s Prime Video on 20 June 2024.
As the world prepares for a tearjerker of a tale in the newest Prime Video offering, take a look at Augustman’s selection of the best sports documentaries to watch in 2024.
These are the 21 best sports documentaries of all time
1. Hoop Dreams
Highlighted sport: Basketball
Release date: 14 October 1994
Director: Steve James
IMDb rating: 8.3
Rotten Tomato score: 98%
Runtime: 2 hrs 50 mins
A film that talked about aspirations and highlighted issues of racial and class-based discrimination, Hoop Dreams is widely regarded as one of the best sports documentaries of all time. It followed the lives of two African-American teenagers, Arthur Agee and William Gates, who dreamt of playing in the NBA one day.
Through the documentary, director Steve James showed how the two boys travelled 90 minutes each day to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a school with a strong basketball curriculum. However, the predominantly white demography of the institution posed a serious challenge to the hopes of the two teenagers. This 171-minute film depicted their battle against social and physical hurdles that stood in their way.
Even though it went on to become a critically acclaimed documentary, Hoop Dreams was not nominated by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for the Oscars. This snub was vehemently criticised by the masses back in the day.
2. When We Were Kings
Highlighted sport: Boxing
Release date: 25 October 1996
Director: Leon Gast
IMDb rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomato score: 98%
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
With boxing as its central premise, When We Were Kings highlighted several anecdotes of international politics during the Black Power era.
On 30 October 1974, George Foreman faced Muhammad Ali in perhaps the most iconic heavyweight boxing championship of all time. Popularly known as the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, the bout in Kinshasa, Zaire was more about the place it held in a cultural context than the match itself.
Making use of historical footage and news interviews, director Leon Gast succinctly explored the relationship between the African Americans and the native Africans of that time. The layered narrative made boxing a metaphor for the larger social issues.
Although it took Gast over two decades to edit and finance the movie, it was worth the wait. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature of 1996 and powers its way into our list of the best sports documentaries of all time.
3. Murderball
Highlighted sport: Quad rugby
Release date: 8 July 2005
Directors: Dana Adam Shapiro, Henry-Alex Rubin
IMDb rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomato score: 98%
Runtime: 1 hr 28 mins
“Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.”
The aforementioned quote served as the leitmotif of the 2005 release Murderball. This film, in its relatively short run-time of 88 minutes, focused on the athletes of wheelchair rugby, or quad rugby.
However, it was more than a meagre documentary on the struggles of these players — the underlying theme of the film was the age-old rivalry between the United States of America and Canada. Like every other facet of life, the two nations share a bittersweet relationship in sports, and quad rugby is no different.
The film followed the lives of these paraplegic men who took minimal precautionary measures while playing full-contact competitive rugby. This story culminated on the grand stage of the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Like the athletes, the filmmakers of this documentary, too, were handicapped by a shoestring budget. They had to make use of low-grade cameras and microphones. In addition, the crew was heavily reliant on natural light.
However, they too, in tandem with the athletes on screen, refused to succumb to the adversities. And they were rewarded handsomely for their struggles. Not only did the film garner positive reviews from critics and fans alike, but it also received a nomination for Best Documentary Feature at the 2006 Academy Awards.
4. Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait
Highlighted sport: Football
Release date: 24 May 2006
Directors: Douglas Gordon, Philippe Parreno
IMDb rating: 6.1
Rotten Tomato score: 65%
Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins
Iconic French footballer Zinedine Zidane made a name for himself because of several things. The list includes his FIFA World Cup win with the French team in 1998, his exploits on the field for Real Madrid, and headbutting Marco Materazzi of Italy in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final that resulted in his international career ending with a red card. He even returned to Real Madrid as the head coach and won three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles with the Galacticos.
However, filmmakers Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno, in their 2006 documentary Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, chose to talk about the legend’s style of play. The film documents a single match — Real Madrid vs Villarreal on 23 April 2005 — and highlights the protagonist, right from pre-game rituals to his final minutes on the field. As many as 17 cameras were stationed at various places around the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
The film provided an immersive viewing experience of Zidane’s skill as he showed the world why he is considered a master of his trade. Post-rock band Mowgai’s original soundtrack elevates the overall content of the documentary. Its innovative mode of storytelling is why we have Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait on our list of the top sports documentaries.
5. Fire in Babylon
Highlighted sport: Cricket
Release date: 20 May 2011
Director: Stevan Riley
IMDb rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomato score: 91%
Runtime: 1 hr 27 mins
Known for producing some of the greatest legends of cricket such as Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Garfield Sobers, the West Indies team was perceived as a band of ‘Calypso Cricketers’ in the 1960s. For the unversed, it was used as slang for people who were entertaining, but would eventually end up on the losing side.
The 1970s marked the dawn of a new era in West Indies cricket. With Clive Lloyd at the helm, the Caribbeans were desperate to prove a point to the rest of the world. Characters like Gordon Greenidge, Vivian Richards and Desmond Haynes emerged who would make mincemeat of the opposition bowlers. On the other hand, every team had nightmares of the Caribbean fast bowling quartet — Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall.
With a side this dangerous, Lloyd’s men became invincible in the late 1970s and the early 1980s as they made the world dance to the tune of their Calypso beats. They also won the inaugural two editions of the Cricket World Cup (in 1975 and 1979).
Filmmaker Stevan Riley chose to chronicle this miraculous rise of the West Indies cricket team in his film. Fire in Babylon was nominated in the Best Documentary category of the British Independent Film Award. It also won the UNESCO Award at the Jamaica Reggae Film Festival in 2011.
6. Senna
Highlighted sport: Formula 1
Release date: 25 May 2011
Director: Asif Kapadia
IMDb rating: 8.5
Rotten Tomato score: 93%
Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins
Considered by many to be one of the best sports documentaries of all time, Senna was made as a hagiographic ode to the legacy of Brazilian motorsports legend Ayrton Senna. The film, directed by Asif Kapadia, provided an unfiltered glimpse of the Formula 1 driver’s career, right from his debut race at the 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix to his untimely death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
Instead of employing the age-old technique of stuffing a documentary with interviews, Kapadia made use of real-time racetrack footage from the minicam attached to Senna’s car to make the narrative more gripping. In addition, the film had archival clips and video bytes provided by Senna’s family. What stands out about the filmmaking technique is the absence of a formal commentary.
The film received positive responses from people all around the globe. It also garnered numerous awards, a few of them being:
- World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary at Sundance Film Festival
- Audience Award for Best International Feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival
- Best Documentary at BAFTA
7. Undefeated
Highlighted sport: American football
Release date: 17 February 2012
Directors: Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin
IMDb rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomato score: 96%
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Undefeated was the coming-of-age tale of the American football team of the Manassas High School in North Memphis. It dealt with concepts of resilience, willpower and comeback as coach Bill Courtney tried to turn the fortune of the high school team after years of hardships and ill luck.
Filmmakers Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin recorded more than 500 hours of footage as they attempted to champion the cause of an underdog team trying to break their 110-year losing streak and win a playoff game. The film was well-received at the South by Southwest conference, and in 2012, it won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
8. The Battered Bastards of Baseball
Highlighted sport: Baseball
Release date: 20 January 2014
Directors: Chapman Way, Maclain Way
IMDb rating: 8
Rotten Tomato score: 100%
Runtime: 1 hr 20 mins
While narrating a tale about the now-defunct baseball team Portland Mavericks, Chapman and Maclain Way decided to borrow a line from the book Ball Four by Jim Bouton. “Us battered bastards of baseball are the biggest customers of the U.S. Post Office, forwarding-address department,” it read.
Thus the title The Battered Bastards of Baseball came into being.
The film told the story of the Portland Mavericks, a minor-league baseball team from Portland, Oregon. The side played only five seasons of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League. It was owned by Bing Russell. Interestingly, his son, the legendary actor Kurt Russell, was a player of the Mavericks before venturing into Hollywood.
Even though the Portland Mavericks never tasted great success, the film opened to a standing ovation at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Eventually, it received positive reviews from critics around the world.
9. Next Goal Wins
Highlighted sport: Football
Release date: 19 April 2014
Directors: Mike Brett, Steve Jamison
IMDb rating: 7.8
Rotten Tomato score: 45%
Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins
Directed by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison, Next Goal Wins narrated an inspiring rags-to-riches story of the national football team of American Samoa, and certainly ranks among the best sports documentaries of all time.
In 2001, Australia defeated American Samoa by an extraordinary scoreline of 31-0. To date, it remains the highest win margin in international football. The horrific loss scarred the American Samoa team, and they could not shake it off and start afresh for a long time.
To turn things around, the country’s football federation appointed Dutch-born, American-based Thomas Rongen as the head coach in 2011. In the next three weeks, Rongen instilled the team with confidence and gave them a positive chance to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup (held in Brazil).
The American Samoa Football Federation granted permission to Brett and Jamison to shoot the film in the middle of the team’s practice sessions because they found the team’s resilience in the face of losses to be inspiring and wanted the world to get a glimpse of their upbeat players.
10. I Believe in Miracles
Highlighted sport: Football
Release date: 13 October 2015
Director: Jonny Owen
IMDb rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomato score: 82%
Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins
Decades before Leicester City clinched the title as the underdogs (in 2015-16), the Premier League saw a David vs Goliath tale in 1977-78 when Nottingham Forest dumbfounded the football fraternity and became the champions of England.
An underperforming side in English domestic football, Nottingham Forest’s fortune took a 180-degree turn with the addition of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor to the coaching team. After winning the English league in 1977-78, the Nottingham-based side went a step further and became the European champions in consecutive seasons (1978-79 and 1979-80).
Chronicling this tale, I Believe in Miracles made use of archival footage of matches and interviews of the then-Nottingham Forest players. The funk and soul music from the 1970s adds to the overall theme of the film and makes it one of the best sports documentaries ever.
11. O.J.: Made in America
Highlighted sport: American football
Release date: 20 May 2016
Director: Ezra Edelman
IMDb rating: 8.9
Rotten Tomato score: 100%
No. of episodes: Five (one season)
One of the most epic documentaries ever made, O.J.: Made in America was presented as a five-part mini-series by Ezra Edelman. It followed the life of O.J. Simpson, one of the most controversial figures in American history.
Edelman gave a detailed account of Simpson’s American football career, right from his arrival at the University of Southern California as a budding superstar to his rise in the National Football League (NFL). But that’s not all that Simpson is known for, is he?
The documentary also talked at length about the NFL star’s strained relationship with Nicole Brown, including episodes of alleged domestic abuse, robbery and the eventual murder of Brown and her boyfriend, Ron Goldman. Simpson’s tale aligned perfectly with the mounting racial tensions between the African-American community, the police and the law of Los Angeles.
While there is no bright side for Simpson to look at in his story, the documentary itself received glowing reviews. As a matter of fact, it won the Academy Award in 2017 for Best Documentary Feature. It richly deserves to be named among the best sports documentaries of all time.
12. Icarus
Highlighted sport: Cycling
Release date: 20 January 2017
Director: Bryan Fogel
IMDb rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomato score: 92%
Runtime: 2 hrs
Not just one of the best sports documentaries ever made, Icarus provided a testament to how media has the power to uncover the darkest mysteries if one is brave enough to do the needful. Every praise that Bryan Fogel receives for his revolutionary work is inadequate.
The 2017 documentary delved deep into the dope-testing system and sparked one of the biggest controversies in the world of sports in its attempt to uncover the Russian system of drug testing. Fogel got in touch with Russia’s anti-doping centre’s director, Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, who is popular for being the whistleblower in the famous (or should we say the infamous?) Lance Armstrong dope test scandal.
The film talked about the state-sponsored doping efforts in Russia and threw light on Dr. Rodhenkov’s involvement in it. Because of the humungous effort that went behind filming this documentary, the geopolitical thriller-of-sorts was named the Best Documentary Feature at the 2018 Academy Awards.
13. Sachin: A Billion Dreams
Highlighted sport: Cricket
Release date: 26 May 2017
Director: James Erskine
IMDb rating: 8.5
Rotten Tomato score: 71%
Runtime: 2 hrs 18 mins
An icon of the sport, Sachin Tendulkar is often referred to as the ‘God of Cricket’ by his fans. Whether he is the Almighty or not is debatable, but the fact that he revolutionised the sport forever cannot be denied.
From being a child prodigy to a common name in the prayers of a billion Indians, Tendulkar was not your average cricketer — he represented the hopes of an entire nation. This very fact is reflected in the film’s title. More than his records and accolades, it was his persistence and hard work that made Tendulkar the legend he is.
Emmy-nominated director James Erskine chronicled Tendulkar’s entire life beautifully in this film. From a prankster as a child to one of the most resolute sports personalities the world has ever seen, the documentary presented several facets of the master batsman. Video bytes by his family, teammates and peers, along with some never-seen-before footage, made the film a pleasant watch. A.R. Rahman’s soulful soundtrack provided the icing on the cake.
If you are a sports enthusiast, Sachin: A Billion Dreams is a must-watch.
14. All or Nothing: Manchester City
Highlighted sport: Football
Release date: 17 August 2018
Director: Manuel Huerga
IMDb rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomato score: 82%
No. of episodes: Eight (one season)
A sports documentary franchise, All or Nothing by Amazon Prime Video focuses on a particular team in each of its series. In August 2018, the OTT platform roped in Spanish filmmaker Manuel Huerga to do a segment on Manchester City.
One of the finest sides in the global club football landscape, Manchester City has been on an upward trajectory for the past decade and more. While they won the Premier League in 2011-12 and 2013-14, it was the arrival of Pep Guardiola in the summer of 2016 that changed their fortune forever.
The documentary series charted Manchester City’s growth throughout the 2017-18 season — from being Manchester United’s ‘noisy neighbours’ to ultimately winning the Premier League and the EFL Cup (or the Carabao Cup, as it is now known). Academy Award-winning actor Ben Kingsley narrated the series.
15. Take the Ball Pass the Ball
Highlighted sport: Football
Release date: 5 November 2018
Director: Duncan McMath
IMDb rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomato score: 58%
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Another documentary with Pep Guardiola as the pivotal character, Take the Ball Pass the Ball is a Spanish film that narrates anecdotes revolving around FC Barcelona’s widespread success under the Spanish coach.
Between 2008 and 2012, the Catalan side won a total of 14 trophies. This includes their historic sextuple-winning season of 2008-09. However, more than the silverware, it was their alluring style of play that got everyone hooked on FC Barcelona’s matches.
Besides the trophy wins, the documentary also highlighted FC Barcelona’s intense rivalry with Real Madrid (known as El Clasico), and Guardiola’s adversity with the Galacticos’ then-coach, Jose Mourinho. In addition, it also brought to light Eric Abidal’s successful recovery from cancer and his comeback into the grandest stage of club football.
The documentary was based on the book Barça: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World by journalist Graham Hunter. For avid football fans, and sports fans at large, this has to rank among the best documentaries to watch.
16. Diego Maradona
Highlighted sport: Football
Release date: 14 June 2019
Director: Asif Kapadia
IMDb rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomato score: 90%
Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins
Filmmaker Asif Kapadia is known for utilising rare archival footage in his documentaries, Senna being a perfect example. He chose a similar storytelling technique for his 2019 release Diego Maradona.
As the name suggests, the film was based on the Argentine legend and FIFA World Cup winner Diego Maradona. However, instead of chronicling his entire career, Kapadia chose to narrate a particular episode of Maradona’s life — his time in Napoli.
Maradona left Barcelona for Naples in the summer of 1984. A city filled with passionate football fans, Naples’ love affair with the sport is borderline obsessive where they become hostile towards any underachieving player in the Napoli lineup.
The film talked about how Maradona braved all odds and eventually won two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup crown with the Italian side. Gripping and inspiring, Diego Maradona is among the best sports documentaries in history.
17. The Test: A New Era for Australia’s Team
Highlighted sport: Cricket
Release date: 12 March 2020
Directors: Adrian Brown, Sheldon Wynne
IMDb rating: 8.8
No. of episodes: 12 (two seasons)
One of cricket’s most controversial episodes in the modern era set the premise for the Amazon Prime Video documentary series The Test: A New Era for Australia’s Team. Rather than talking solely about the scandal, the filmmakers decided to focus on the rebuilding of the Australian team in the following months.
For the unversed, in March 2018, Australia’s Cameron Bancroft was caught roughing up one side of the cricket ball with sandpaper in order to facilitate its swing in flight. Since the use of sandpaper on a cricket ball is in complete violation of the rules, this incident during the Australia vs South Africa Test match at Newlands, Cape Town saw some serious repercussions. The involvement of Australia’s then-captain, Steve Smith, and David Warner, the vice-captain, further spiced up the controversy.
After a thorough investigation by Cricket Australia, the trio were found guilty of breaching the rules of the sport. Bancroft was handed a suspension of nine months, while Smith and Warner served a ban of 12 months each. This infamous incident came to be known as the ‘sandpapergate’ scandal.
The documentary followed the Australian team in a post-‘sandpapergate’ world where Tim Paine took over the reins of leadership. A dilapidated Australian side struggled to find consistency in the next 18 months, which included a hammering by India in Australia, and their premature exit from the semi-finals of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
It is important to note that this ongoing series has its third season slated to release later this year. According to the trailer, the production talked about Australia’s resurgence as the best side in the world — how they beat India in the final of the ICC World Test Championship in 2023 and braved the England team’s counter-attacking ‘Bazball’ playing style in the Ashes series a month later.
18. The Last Dance
Highlighted sport: Basketball
Release date: 19 April 2020
Director: Jason Hehir
IMDb rating: 9.1
Rotten Tomato score: 97%
No. of episodes: 10 (one season)
A must-watch for all basketball fans around the globe (available on Netflix), The Last Dance is one of the best sports documentaries of all time, and then some more!
The ten-part docu-series charted the journey of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1997-98 NBA season. However, the Bulls and Jordan himself have been successful in the past. So what was special about that year?
As it happened, 1997-98 marked the basketball legend’s final season with the Bulls. With exclusive footage and interviews, Jason Hehir showed how the team went for their sixth NBA title in eight seasons.
Jordan’s on-court wizardry and suave mesmerised the audience, particularly those who never watched him play. The Last Dance received critical acclamation and was conferred with the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series in 2020.
19. Athlete A
Highlighted sport: Gymnastics
Release date: 24 June 2020
Directors: Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk
IMDb rating: 7.6
Rotten Tomato score: 100%
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
After Icarus, we see investigative journalism become the covert protagonist in the 2020 film Athlete A. In this instance, filmmakers Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk decided to unravel a heinous crime like sexual abuse in athletics.
The documentary followed a group of investigative journalists from The Indianapolis Star as they brought to light the felony of the USA Gymnastics (USAG) team doctor Larry Nassar. According to the findings, Nassar was convicted of sexually assaulting over 250 female athletes in his decade-long career.
With bytes from American gymnast Simone Biles and other celebrated athletes, the film gave a heart-wrenching account of the dark side of the USAG, which otherwise is simply glorified for its stupendous performances at the Olympic Games and other multinational sports meets. The documentary drew its title from Maggie Nichols, who was referred to as ‘Athlete A’ in order to protect her identity during the course of the investigation.
20. The Witches of the Orient
Highlighted sport: Volleyball
Release date: 9 July 2021
Director: Julien Faraut
IMDb rating: 6.8
Rotten Tomato score: 92%
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
An enigmatic iteration of the extraordinary rise of the Japanese women’s volleyball team, this experimental film by Julien Faraut powers its way into our list of the best sports documentaries, and for good reason, too.
Hirofumi Daimatsu, the then-coach of the women’s team, handpicked his team from a group of workers at a textile factory in Kaizuka, Japan. The women went to great lengths to sharpen their skills under Daimatsu’s ruthless tutelage. Eventually, they went on a 258-match-win streak and emerged as the gold medal winners of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
The remarkable rise of the women’s volleyball team spurred a joke among the European onlookers, who gave them a racist sobriquet of ‘Oriental Witches’ because they believed that the players achieved the results with their magic skills. However, Faraut’s meticulous filmmaking, which included the usage of unseen footage and interviews, went on to show how their win streak was a product of immense hard work.
There have been a number of pop culture tributes inspired by the volleyball team’s achievements, including Chikako Urano’s Attack No. 1 manga series. But The Witches of the Orient stands out among them because of its humanist appeal.
21. Beckham
Highlighted sport: Football
Release date: 4 October 2023
Director: Fisher Stevens
IMDb rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomato score: 88%
No. of episodes: Four (one season)
Summing up our list of the best sports documentaries is Beckham, one of Netflix’s newest offerings.
Arguably one of the most glamorous sports personalities of all time, David Beckham is nothing short of a pop culture icon. His life has been a rollercoaster ride, both personally and professionally. Therefore, to encapsulate all of that is a daunting task.
Academy Award-winner Fisher Stevens deserves credit for giving every major episode of the Englishman’s life enough limelight whilst not dragging the documentary too long and making it seem tedious. Be it his relationship with ‘Posh Spice’ Victoria Beckham, or his estranged alliance with Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, David Beckham’s life was succinctly portrayed.
The four-part documentary series received a warm response from all parts of the world. It was even named the winner of the Outstanding Sports Program category at the PGA Awards 2024.
(Main Image Credits: IMDb/Hoop Dreams and IMDb/Senna; Featured Image Credits: IMDb/The Last Dance)
This article first appeared here
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Which is the best sports documentary to watch?
Senna is considered by many to be the best sports documentary to watch.
– Which is the best sports documentary to watch on Netflix?
The Last Dance is among the best sports documentaries to watch on Netflix.
– Which is the best sports documentary to watch on IMDb?
The Last Dance is the best sports documentary to watch, according to IMDb’s ratings.