by Alex Billington
May 19, 2026
Source: YouTube
“When does a match start? When does it end?” ⚽ Disney has revealed the official trailer for a documentary film titled The Match, an emotional look back at the iconic 1986 World Cup game. This just premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival this month playing in the Cannes Premiere section – it’s rare they ever show docs at this fest meaning this is definitely worth a look. Beyond the Hand of God lies a deeper story… About the 1986 Argentina-England World Cup quarter final, exploring how it became a culmination of tensions between the two nations following the 1982 Falklands War. From directors Juan Cabral & Santiago Franco, narrated by Gary Lineker & Jorge Valdano, The Match tells the story of the iconic 1986 Football World Cup clash between Argentina & England at the Azteca Stadium. Using rare archival footage, including Maradona’s controversial “Hand of God”, the doc film reconstructs the match as a living memory, after more than 200 years of tension, encounters, and conflict between the two nations. Reviews say, “this entertaining exercise in deluxe nostalgia is peppered with enough quirky folklore and offbeat background detail to keep even sports-allergic viewers […] engaged.” This looks super fascinating for sports fans & history nerds alike.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Juan Cabral & Santiago Franco’s doc The Match, from YouTube:
The Match tells the story of the iconic match between Argentina & England, played at the Azteca Stadium during the 1986 Football World Cup. Using rare archival footage such as Maradona’s controversial “Hand of God”, the film reconstructs that event as a living memory but also as the culmination of more than two hundred years of tension, encounters, and conflict between the two nations. From the earliest moments of contact and dispute to the Falklands War as a direct precursor, the film traces a historical journey that reframes what happened on the pitch. In doing so, it subtly contrasts the beauty of football (aka soccer in America) with the lingering absurdity of war, allowing the echoes of both to resonate into present day. The Match is a documentary co-directed by filmmakers Juan Cabral (also of Risa and the Wind Phone) & Santiago Franco, making their first film together. Produced by Flora Fernandez-Marengo. This recently premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in the fest’s Cannes Premiere section. Disney debuts The Match doc in theaters around the world this summer – right after this year’s World Cup. So who wants to watch?
