Underplayed Gems

The Match (2026)

The Match poster
Original title
El Partido
Directed by
Juan Cabral
Genre
documentary film
Country
Argentina
Rated
7
Rating
5.3 of 10 from 3 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

This documentary reconstructs the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England, focusing on Diego Maradona's notorious hand of God goal. It places the match in the context of the Falklands War, exploring the sporting tension and national pride on both sides.

historicsportstensepatrioticpoliticalemotionalnostalgiccinematic

What happens

The Match (Spanish: El Partido) is a 2026 Argentine sports documentary film written and directed by Juan Cabral and Santiago Franco, based on the non-fiction book of same name by Andrés Burgo. It reconstructs the historic match Argentina vs England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, famously remembered for the the hand of God goal by Maradona. Also exploring the sporting, political, and cultural dimensions of the encounter, in the background of the recent deadly Falklands War between the two countries. The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Premiere section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 13 May, where it was nominated for the L'Œil d'or. It was theatrically released in Argentina on 21 May, coinciding with the commemorations of the 40th anniversary of the match. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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