Top 10 Must-Watch Football Series That Every Fan Should See

As a lifelong football enthusiast and content creator who has spent over a decade analyzing sports media, I've noticed something fascinating happening in our streaming era. While we're blessed with endless live matches and highlight reels, there's something uniquely compelling about football documentary series that dive deeper than the ninety minutes on the pitch. These productions don't just show us the game—they reveal the human drama, tactical genius, and organizational machinery that makes football the world's most beloved sport. What struck me recently was how other sports have mastered this art form, particularly when I learned about Ross Greenburg's masterful documentaries covering Manny Pacquiao's legendary bouts against Oscar Dela Hoya, Miguel Cotto, and Antonio Margarito. Greenburg, the former president of HBO Sports, understood that great sports storytelling isn't about the final score—it's about the journey, the personalities, and the moments that define careers. That same philosophy has transformed how we experience football through television series, creating an entirely new way to appreciate the beautiful game.

When I first discovered "All or Nothing: Manchester City" back in 2018, it revolutionized my understanding of what a football documentary could achieve. The access was unprecedented—we weren't just watching training sessions, we were inside team meetings where Pep Guardiola delivered tactical instructions that would make any football nerd weak in the knees. The series captured City's record-breaking 2017-18 Premier League campaign with such intimacy that you felt like part of the backroom staff. What makes these series so compelling is exactly what Greenburg perfected in his boxing documentaries—the behind-the-scenes drama that casual viewers never get to see. Remember that pivotal moment when City trailed 2-0 to Manchester United at halftime? The dressing room footage of Guardiola's team talk was more instructive than any coaching manual I've ever read. These moments matter because they reveal the psychological warfare that happens off the pitch, much like how Greenburg's cameras captured the tension in Pacquiao's dressing room before his fight with Miguel Cotto.

Then there's "Sunderland 'Til I Die," which remains, in my opinion, the most emotionally raw football series ever produced. While Manchester City was achieving perfection, Sunderland was navigating the exact opposite—the brutal reality of back-to-back relegations. I've rewatched this series three times, and each viewing reveals new layers about the relationship between a club and its community. The scene where supporters sing through tears as their team drops to League One still gives me chills. This is where football documentaries separate themselves from traditional coverage—they have the narrative space to explore these complex emotional journeys over multiple episodes, similar to how Greenburg's multi-fight documentaries allowed viewers to understand Pacquiao's evolution as a fighter across different weight classes and opponents.

What many fans don't realize is how much these series have changed club operations. After "The Last Dance" revolutionized sports documentaries (yes, I know it's basketball, but bear with me), Premier League clubs became far more strategic about media access. Tottenham's "All or Nothing" series coincided with their stadium move and COVID-19 disruptions, creating a perfect storm of narrative tension. The footage of Daniel Levy negotiating during the pandemic was worth the subscription price alone—it showed the business side of football that we rarely discuss as fans. Similarly, Amazon's coverage of Arsenal presented Mikel Arteta's rebuilding project with such detail that you could chart the exact moment the culture changed at London Colney. These series have become recruitment tools, revenue streams, and legacy projects all rolled into one.

The international offerings have been equally impressive. "The English Game" on Netflix, while dramatized, beautifully captures football's origins and class struggles in Victorian England. Meanwhile, "First Team: Juventus" gave us unprecedented access to Cristiano Ronaldo's first season in Italy, though I'll admit the pacing felt uneven compared to the Premier League productions. What makes these international series fascinating is how they reflect different football cultures—the Italian approach to tactics, the German emphasis on club structure, the Brazilian celebration of pure joy. Each production teaches us something new about how football is experienced around the world.

I have to confess my personal favorite remains "FIFA Uncovered"—a four-part investigation that goes beyond the pitch to examine the corruption scandals that rocked world football. This is where the documentary format truly shines, allowing for complex investigative journalism that would be impossible in a traditional match broadcast. The footage of FBI raids and secret recordings provides context that helps explain why football governance looks the way it does today. It's uncomfortable viewing at times, but essential for any fan who wants to understand the sport's power structures.

The magic of these series lies in their ability to make us care about outcomes we already know. We know Manchester City won the league, we know Sunderland got relegated, yet we still watch with bated breath. This is the same narrative alchemy that Greenburg mastered in his boxing documentaries—making the journey more compelling than the destination. His work on Pacquiao's fights against Oscar Dela Hoya and Antonio Margarito understood that the real story wasn't just the punches thrown, but the training camps, the weight cuts, the personal sacrifices. Football series have adopted this same philosophy, giving us the context that transforms athletic competition into human drama.

Looking ahead, I'm excited about where this genre is heading. With streaming platforms investing heavily in sports content, we're likely to see more experimental formats and deeper access. Imagine a series following a transfer negotiation from start to finish, or a documentary crew embedded with a club during preseason tour. The potential is limitless. What began as novelty access has evolved into essential viewing for serious football fans—the perfect complement to matchday coverage that helps us understand the sport we love on a deeper level. Just as Greenburg's documentaries became definitive records of boxing's biggest moments, these football series are creating the historical archives that future generations will study to understand our era of the beautiful game.