From 'An Evening With Gary Lineker' to 'Dear England', here is the best TV and film to warm up for the World Cup. With just one day until the 2026 Fifa World Cup kicks off in Canada, Mexico, and the US, the tournament will dominate small screen schedules for over a month. Football fans will be thrilled, while others may be less so. To help pass the time until football fever fully takes hold, here is an XI-strong selection of films, dramas, and documentaries.
Match – 1966 World Cup Final in Colour (Channel 4)
David Baddiel introduces a full-colour replay of England's landmark 4-2 win over West Germany to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease. Hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst reflects on the historic match 60 years ago and remembers his teammates who developed dementia.
Drama – Dear England (BBC iPlayer)
Joseph Fiennes stars in James Graham's adaptation of his award-winning play about Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate's noble bid to end decades of hurt. Expect beards, waistcoats, and inflatable unicorns.
Documentary – Kevin Bridges: In Search of the Beautiful Game (BBC iPlayer)
Ahead of Scotland's first tournament appearance in 28 years, Clydebank comic Kevin Bridges travels to Brazil and the US in this heartfelt travelogue to ask whether the sport has lost its soul.
Film – Saipan (Prime Video/BFI Player)
Steve Coogan stars in this dramatisation of the infamous 2002 World Cup showdown between Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy and combustible captain Roy Keane (Éanna Hardwicke). 'Stick it up your bollocks' indeed.
Play – An Evening With Gary Lineker (YouTube)
An evocative ITV adaptation of Arthur Smith and Chris England's stage play, setting a bickering couple's summer holiday against the backdrop of the Italia '90 tournament. Also see Euro '96-themed sequel My Summer With Des.
Comedy – Twenty Twenty Six (BBC iPlayer)
Hugh Bonneville leads this FIFA satire as an ex-BBC bumbler parachuted into the world's biggest sporting event as its 'director of integrity'. Corporate culture and football-ignorant Americans are gently mocked.
Documentary – The Bus: A French Football Mutiny (Netflix)
Chronicling the chaos of France's flop 2010 campaign in South Africa, this jaw-dropping film lays bare the bust-ups and player revolts that led to the Raymond Domenech-coached Les Bleus publicly refusing to train together.
Film – Mike Bassett: England Manager (Prime Video)
A cult 2001 'soccumentary' starring Ricky Tomlinson as an unreconstructed gaffer leading a hapless team to the World Cup in Brazil, determined to play 'four-four-fucking-two'. Any resemblance to Graham 'Turnip' Taylor is purely intentional.
Drama – This Is England '86 (Channel 4)
The first TV spin-off from Shane Meadows' coming-of-age film was set during Mexico '86, featuring Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal and kick-arounds on Sheffield's Park Hill estate. Later instalment This Is England '90 spooled forward to the tournament in Italy.
Documentary – The Game of Their Lives (YouTube)
At the 1966 tournament, North Korea captured hearts by defeating hot favourites Italy in the group stage and taking a 3-0 lead against Portugal in the quarter-final. This 2002 film charts their shock success and tracks down the seven surviving players, who remain national heroes.
Film – Escape to Victory (Sky/Now/Prime Video)
Second world war plus football equals the ultimate rainy afternoon movie. Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, and actual Pelé form a plucky allied PoW team to take on Nazi Germany in director John Huston's rousing footballing fairytale.
