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'Goal!' at 20: The story of the football film that became a cult classic (Rolling Stone UK 2025) Trailer + complete film
I ran across a mention of this on Reddit, looked at the trailer on YouTube and saw that the complete film is there as well, and thought DU's soccer fans might want to know about it, if they didn't already.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal!_(film)
Santiago Muñez, a Mexican undocumented immigrant living in Los Angeles, is a skilled footballer who plays for his local team and works as a gardener with his father, Hernan, and as a busboy in a Chinese restaurant. During one of his matches, Santiago is approached by Glen Foy, a former player and scout for Newcastle United, who helps arrange a trial with the club...
Rolling Stone UK, last year:
https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/film/features/goal-20-anniversary-oral-history-interview-santiago-munez-newcastle-united-photos-54301/
Mention the name Santiago Muñez to nearly any discerning football fan who came of age in the noughties and you’ll likely get the same response. They’ll passionately tell you about the Mexican superstar who transcended his impoverished roots in Los Angeles to sign for Newcastle United...
But there’s just one unusual thing: Santiago is entirely fictional. He was played by Kuno Becker in Goal! which celebrates its 20th anniversary today and still ranks as one of the most beloved football films of all time. Fans instantly fell in love with Santiago’s story, which felt incredibly authentic after Newcastle came on board to lend their heavy involvement to the project and permitted cameos from the likes of Alan Shearer, as well as allowing the cast to train with the entire squad. Such is the film’s impact that a number of future Magpie stars admitted that their knowledge of the club was solely based around the film.
But there’s just one unusual thing: Santiago is entirely fictional. He was played by Kuno Becker in Goal! which celebrates its 20th anniversary today and still ranks as one of the most beloved football films of all time. Fans instantly fell in love with Santiago’s story, which felt incredibly authentic after Newcastle came on board to lend their heavy involvement to the project and permitted cameos from the likes of Alan Shearer, as well as allowing the cast to train with the entire squad. Such is the film’s impact that a number of future Magpie stars admitted that their knowledge of the club was solely based around the film.
Btw, I heard about the film only because I saw Oasis fans (who've been delighted with England's fans using Wonderwall as an anthem during the World Cup) talking about an Oasis song I'd never heard of before in the soundtrack.
Goal II or Goal 2!, the sequel, can also be found on YouTube. Not sure if Goal III is, but it wasn't as good a film as the first two, and Rolling Stone called it "much-maligned."