20 best soccer movies with their posters and trailers

3. Pele: Birth of a legend (2016)

A look at the early life of the Brazilian superstar

This film by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist showcases the early life of the legendary Brazilian Pele, one of the greatest to have ever kicked a football. Although the exploits of Pele on the pitch are well documented, not much of his personal life, especially during his formative years, was known to the world.

This film focuses on the relationship between a young Pele and his father. Filming for this movie took more than a year, spanning a period from September 2013 to late 2014, and took place in Rio de Janeiro.

After witnessing the magic of Brazilian football over the decades, millions of viewers around the world swear by the Samba style of soccer the Brazilian’s preach. However not many knew about Ginga, the foundation of Capoeira, a primitive form of martial art practised in Portugal.

African slaves brought to Brazil by the Portuguese escaped en masse to the forests where they took to Ginga to protect themselves. After the abolishment of slavery, Ginga was outlawed, and as a result many started applying bits and pieces of Ginga to different sports. Pele’s phenomenal ability was largely due to his training in Ginga.