The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially begins later this week, so what better way to celebrate the special occasion than a British football-themed drama starring the ever-reliable Bill Nighy?
The Beautiful Game sees the veteran actor portray Mal, the manager of England's homeless team. With dreams of lifting the trophy at the Homeless World Cup in Rome, the coach begins to plot their victory.
This includes the last-minute acquisition of Vinny, a striker with an abundance of natural talent. He also, however, has a difficult history, and doesn't find it easy working within the team environment.
Billed as a film about "second chances", the sports drama is now streaming in the UK ahead of the beginning of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which gets under way on Thursday (11 June) as co-hosts Mexico take on South Africa.
Who is in The Beautiful Game?
• Bill Nighy as Mal
• Michael Ward as Vinny
• Susan Wokoma as Protasia
• Callum Scott Howells as Nathan
• Kit Young as Cal
• Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as Kevin
• Cristina Rodlo as Rosita
What did critics say about The Beautiful Game?
Directed by Thea Sharrock from a screenplay by Frank Cottrell-Boyce (and with a producer's credit for Colin Farrell), The Beautiful Game was acclaimed upon its release, with Rotten Tomatoes currently reporting an approval rating of 88% from 41 reviews.
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"The film rolls along smoothly like many a British sitcom, finding its humour largely in mild embarrassment, ironic understatement and well-rehearsed comic timing," noted The Hollywood Reporter, while FilmWeek called it "fantastic".
"Is it a little glossy and sanitized with a jaunty score? Sure. But it also thoughtfully explores themes of redemption, invisibility, pride and sportsmanship without being preachy or condescending," opined Associated Press.
Screen International noted that the film contained "considerable heart", while Variety wrote: "Even when you can practically hear the film's formulaic gear-shifting, it's hard not to be won over, not least by the real-life backstory guiding its less authentic fiction."
Where can I watch The Beautiful Game?
The British drama is currently available to stream in the UK for free, having been added to Channel 4. This listing is due to expire on 7 July, so you have to get in a little hurry to watch it this time round.
It will likely be added to the service again in the future, as Film4 has exclusive rights to the film until March 2027. It will then make its way back to Netflix, the streamer where it premiered in 2024.
Other Bill Nighy movies you can stream right now
If you want to watch Nighy in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, then you'll need a couple of streaming services. Both Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are on Disney+, while The World's End is available on Prime Video.
If you have Sky Cinema or NOW, then you can view acclaimed romantic comedy About Time and animated adventure The Wild Robot, while British period drama Their Finest is on BBC iPlayer. Netflix, meanwhile, has 2024 biographical drama Joy.
The Beautiful Game is streaming now on Channel 4.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
