The 5 Unmissable Series Before the Qatar 2022 World Cup

There are a handful of days left before the 2022 World Cup begins, an event that has overcome all kinds of scandals. Qatar will receive the edition that will be the last chance for legends like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. Streaming platforms are aware that their audience will be permeated by soccer over the next month, so they already have an arsenal of content ready to offer.

In addition to productions such as "Pelé" or "Neymar: Un Perfecto Chaos" on Netflix; "The men who sold the World Cup" on HBO Max or "Mi Selección Colombia" on Prime Video; there are several series related to the World Cup from different angles such as corruption, violence and mystique, which is never foreign to the beautiful game.

Here are five major soccer series related to the World Cup that will give you a better understanding of the sport if you are not a fan, or that will serve as a prelude to Qatar 2022.

“El Presidente” on Prime Video

Prime Video was one of the first platforms that ventured into making soccer content about South America. On this occasion they focused on a sensitive issue: the 'Fifagate', which culminated in several presidents of federations behind bars for money laundering. The series narrates this episode of corruption in soccer through the rise of Chilean manager Sergio Jadue (played by Andrés Parra) under the direction of Pablo Larraín (“Spencer” and “Jackie”).

“Sean Eternos: Campeones de America” on Netflix

This documentary series could be seen as the journey of the hero without conclusion of Lionel Messi in the Argentine National Team. There are three episodes that describe the difficult relationship between the Argentine 10 and his national team after losing four finals -including a World Cup-, thinking about leaving his national team and achieving a small redemption with last year's Copa América. Rosario hopes to conclude his cycle with the most important trophy in Qatar 2022. The series is directed by Juan Baldana and is hosted on Netflix.

Also read: The 5 Teams that Can Surprise in Qatar 2022

“Goles en Contra” on Netflix

Fresh out of the oven on Netflix, this story also weaves the relationship of how crime stained soccer in Colombia. The series is based on the most painful event that Colombian soccer has experienced, which was the death of Andrés Escobar after the 1994 World Cup in the United States. From his story, the relationship between team managers and drug lords is told. Caleños Óscar Ruiz Navia (“El vuelco del crab”) and Carlos Moreno (“Perro como perro” and “Lavaperros”) are in charge of directing.

“Robo Mundial” on Star+

One of the worst tragedies that could happen to Argentine soccer is the elimination of its team from a World Cup. Under this assumption, the Gabriel Nicoli series follows Lucho Buenaventura, a man who saved money with his son to see his country in the orbital event. He puts together a group of friends to steal the World Cup trophy and push for Argentina to be included in the qualifiers. In the past, the Jules Rimet (former World Cup trophy) was stolen twice in England and Brazil.

“Bilardo, el doctor del fútbol” on HBO Max

Beyond the mystique with Diego Maradona and the cult that was created around him after winning the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, Carlos Bilardo was behind him, the coach who best complemented the mystique that Argentina's number 10 displayed. In 4 episodes on HBO Max, an attempt is made to highlight the important moments of the coach, without neglecting the component that humanized him. This documentary miniseries is directed by Ariel Rotter (“The Incident Light”).