Goal! (2006)
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An undocumented Mexican immigrant seeks to turn his passion for football into a professional career in England.
The story
Santiago Muñez, a skilled Mexican undocumented immigrant living in Los Angeles, works as a gardener and busboy while playing for his local football team. His life changes when he is approached by a former player and scout for Newcastle United, who arranges a trial for him in England. Despite his father's skepticism and the financial hurdles of traveling abroad, Santiago secures a chance to prove himself. Upon arriving in Newcastle, he faces a grueling month-long trial under intense pressure, navigating difficult training conditions and personal challenges as he strives to earn a professional contract with the club.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Santiago Muñez, a Mexican undocumented immigrant in Los Angeles, is a talented footballer who works as a gardener and busboy. After being scouted by Glen Foy, a former player, Santiago travels to England for a trial with Newcastle United. He faces bullying from teammate Hughie McGowan and must hide his asthma from the club nurse, Roz Harmison, to secure a one-month contract. After a failed reserve match where Hughie destroys his inhaler, Santiago is let go but is later allowed to stay by manager Erik Dornhelm after a talented player, Gavin Harris, reveals Santiago's condition. Santiago and Gavin form a friendship, and Santiago eventually makes his first-team debut against Fulham, scoring a penalty. However, a night of partying leads to a public scandal, and Santiago's father suffers a fatal heart attack. Santiago nearly returns home but decides to stay at St James' Park to train. He is selected for the final game against Liverpool. In the final minutes, Santiago assists Gavin for an equalizer and then scores a winning goal from a free kick, securing Newcastle a place in the UEFA Champions League.
- Original title
- Goal! The Dream Begins
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English; Spanish
- Directors
- Danny Cannon
- Writers
- Mike Jefferies · story; Adrian Butchart · story; Dick Clement · screenplay; Ian La Frenais · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Kuno Becker · Santiago Muñez; Alessandro Nivola; Marcel Iureș; Stephen Dillane; Anna Friel
- Genres
- sports drama
- Themes
- immigrant experience; perseverance; friendship; sports ambition
- Tone and mood
- inspirational; dramatic
- Setting
- Los Angeles and Newcastle, United Kingdom, 2005
- Premise and plot tags
- sports; underdog; immigrant story; football
- Franchise connections
- Goal! trilogy
- Content notes
- asthma
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, praised for its sports sequences and Kuno Becker's performance but criticized for its cliché screenplay. It underperformed at the box office but became a gold standard for sports films in several regions. In 2018, it was voted the 'Greatest Football Film of All Time' by SPORTbible.
- Production trivia
- The lead role was originally intended for Diego Luna but he left the project.; Michael Winterbottom was originally slated to direct before being replaced by Danny Cannon.; In 2021, Newcastle signed a Mexican-American striker named Santiago Muñoz, who shares a remarkable similarity to the film's protagonist.; Adidas contributed a reported $50 million towards the film's budget and marketing campaign.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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