"Next Goal Wins"

"Next Goal Wins" is a new live-action sports comedy feature, directed by Taika Waititi ("Thor: Love and Thunder"), in a battle-of-the-planets soccer field scenario, based on the 2014 doc by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison, starring Michael Fassbender, Elisabeth Moss, Oscar Kightley, Uli Latukefu, Rachel House, Kaimana, David Fane, Beulah Koale, Chris Alosio, Waititi, Will Arnett and Rhys Darby, opening November 17, 2023 in theaters:

"....based on a true story, the film follows the efforts of  down-on-his luck coach 'Thomas Rongen' (Fassbender), who is suddenly tasked to lead the 'American Samoa' national football team.

"The team is the lowest-scoring, absolutely worst soccer club in the world. But Rongen tackles the problem head on and gets the team in shape, to qualify as an 'elite squad' for the 2014 'FIFA World Cup'...

"....wagered on by millions of people, that didn't have a better way to play, like today's spread betting, or slots online.

"I'd never made a sports film before, and I really wanted to try that out," said Waititi. "It's about a sport I don't know that much about. 

"Rugby is the national sport in New Zealand, but it's about underdogs, and I just love underdog stories.

"Most of my films are about people who live on the margins, or are a little bit left out, and it just fit right in for me.

"It's a true story, but it's got all the elements that all the great sports films have. It's basically the 'Cool Runnings' of soccer." 

Click the images to enlarge...