11 football films to watch during FIFA Women's World Cup 2023

The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup tournament will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, and is scheduled to take place from 20 July to 20 August. (Photo: Twitter)

As the stage is set for the start of the 2024 FIFA Women's World Cup jointly hosted by New Zealand and Australia on July 20, there are films around football to watch from across the world. The following selection of eleven films tells stories of empowerment, gender rights, LGBTQ rights, freedom and democracy through the football pitch:

Freedom Fields (2017) - Libya 

Director: Naziha Arebi

Available on MUBI

Libyan documentary 'Freedom Fields' is on the making of the civil war-torn nation's first women's football team (Photo: Facebook)

A searing portrayal of gender politics in strife-torn Libya, Freedom Fields is a documentary film that springs hope from a football ground. Directed by Libyan filmmaker Naziha Arebi, the film shows how the country's first women's football team gave a nation on the edge of the abyss a way forward through optimism. After the Arab Spring in 2011, Libya descended into chaos following a civil war. "The revolution is not ours anymore," says a young footballer in the film as her football team begins another revolution, this time by dismantling traditions that barred girls from playing the Beautiful Game.

Just Charlie (2017) - United Kingdom

Director: Rebekah Fortune

Available on Amazon Prime Video

'Just Charlie' by a first-time director is a heart-rending transgender drama. (Photo: Amazon Prime Video)

An English family is celebrating its youngest member's elevation to the premier league. But their dream world collapses when Charlie, a teenager footballer, realises his true gender identity. An absorbing transgender drama, Just Charlie raises questions on expectations of parents and friends and the need to understand and believe in those we love. "The most important aspect of the film is to try and highlight that if we just accepted people for who they are and didn't make judgments all the time, the world would be a much kinder, happier place," says debutante director Rebekah  Fortune.

LFG (2021) - USA

Director: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix

Available on HBO Max

American documentary 'LFG' tells the story of a gender discrimination case filed by US national team players against the US Soccer Federation. (Photo: HBO Max)

Starring American football legend Megan Rapinoe, the documentary film tells the story of a gender discrimination case filed by US national team players only three months before the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. The lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation for equal pay set the stage for one of the biggest fights for women's rights in American history. The film also stars American players Jessica McDonald, Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelley O'Hara and Sam Mewis.

Football Under Cover (2008) - Germany/Iran

Director: David Assmann, Ayat Najafi

Available on MUBI

'Football Under Cover' is a documentary about a match between an amateur women's football team from Berlin and the Iranian national women's football team in Tehran. (Photo: MUBI)

An amateur women's football team from Berlin makes an unprecedented trip to Tehran to play a match against the Iranian national women's football team. With strict rules like dress code making it difficult to organise a match against a Western team, it's an uphill battle on and off the pitch for both the Iranian and German women. The documentary reveals how political and cultural differences play an important role in sports between countries.

Maitanam: The Story of Women's Football in Kerala (2022)

Available on FIFA+

FIFA documentary 'Maitanam: The Story of Women's Football in Kerala' has six unique stories about the passion for football in Kerala (Photo: FIFA+)

Six unique stories about the passion for football in Kerala. The 40-minute documentary begins in Kozhikode on the ground of Gokulam Kerala FC, the reigning Indian Women's League champions. There is LiFFA, a boy's club in Thiruvananthapuram supported by the archdiocese, a coastal village near Kovalam that boasts of the highest number of Santosh Trophy players from the state, and the popular seven-a-side tournaments in Kerala.

Khartoum Offside (2019) - Sudan

Director: Marwa Zein

Available on MUBI

'Khartoum Offside' is about a group of young women defying a ban on playing football imposed by Sudan's military government. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

A group of young women defies the ban on playing football imposed by Sudan's military government. Led by their captain Sara, the women footballers dream of representing their country in the FIFA Women's World Cup. It is not easy though as they must first get the official recognition as Sudan's national women's football team. The documentary is about the unwavering struggle by women footballers in Khartourm who are determined to bring change.

The Girls of Favela Street (2022) 

Available on FIFA+

FIFA documentary 'The Girls of Favela Street' stars Dutch street football icon Roxanne Hehakaija, better known as Rocky (Photo: FIFA+)

The 43-minute documentary is about football and empowerment. Dutch street football icon Roxanne Hehakaija, better known as Rocky, brings stories of women's football from the favelas of Brazil. Co-founder of Favela Street Foundation, which aims to empower young people to become role models with the power of street football, Rocky shows how football can unite people through joy and optimism.

Let the Girls Play (2018) - France

Director: Julien Hallard

Available on Amazon Prime Video/MUBI

'Let the Girls Play' portrays the creation of the first women's football team in France in 1969. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

A sports journalist at a daily newspaper organises a women's football match during the newspaper's annual charity fair. There is, however, a challenge. There is no women's football team in France. Set in Reims, a city in northeastern France in 1969, the film portrays the creation of the first women's football team in the country.

Icons (2022) - Season 1 - five episodes

Available on FIFA+

FIFA series 'Icons' documents the journey of five of the biggest stars in international women's football (Photo: FIFA+)

Five of the biggest stars in international women's football embark on a personal journey in search of football glory. The stars are French national team captain Wendie Thérèse Renard, Lucia Roberta Tough Bronze, the England international and FC Barcelona women's team member, Asisat Lamina Oshoala, the Nigerian international and also FC Barcelona player, Carli Lloyd, the American player who was twice FIFA Player of the Year, and Samantha May Kerr, the Australian national team and Chelsea striker.

Back of the Net (2019) - Australia/USA

Director: Louise Alston

Available on Netflix

Australian film 'Back of the Net' combines science and sports.(Photo: Netflix)

Science brain Cory Bailey arrives in Sydney from Los Angeles to join Harold Academy's Semester At Sea programme in a research vessel. Instead, she finds herself all at sea in Harold Soccer Academy. Cory, who has never kicked a football before, soon realises her science lessons could be useful on a soccer field. She turns the science teacher to her fellow players, telling them how to use magnum force to calculate the perfect kick, or how Beckham bends it.

17 - Women Football in the Middle East (2017) - Jordan

Director: Widad Shafakoj

'17 - Women Football in the Middle East' follows the Jordanian under-17 women's football team as they prepare for the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in their country. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

A social exploration of the lives of young women who are passionate about a sport they have been told was only for men. The film follows the Jordanian under-17 women's football team as they prepare for the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Jordan. Coming from different backgrounds, each of the girls has faced a different set of challenges as a national team player. But now they come together to face their biggest challenge yet.