30 for 30: Soccer Stories S1:E7

Hillsborough

A look at the April 15, 1989 tragedy at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, where overcrowding in the stadium's standing-room-only areas led to a crushing stampede that killed 96 people and injured 766. The film examines the ongoing efforts of victims' families to seek exoneration of their loved ones, who were blamed in part by local authorities in an attempt to conceal police and security inadequacies.

Maradona '86

A look at Diego Maradona's spectacular individual performance during the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

The Opposition

Chile hosts a decisive World Cup qualifier at Santiago's National Stadium just weeks after it had been transformed into a concentration camp and killing field for opponents of Augusto Pinochet (who had just gained power in a military coup). Though FIFA investigates the matter, the game goes on, with the Chilean team winning in a walkover after their opponents from the Soviet Union boycott in protest over the stadium's use.

Ceasefire Massacre

June 18, 1994, and fans of Ireland's national team are euphoric over their team's World Cup opener against Italy at Giants Stadium. Joy turns to horror, however, at a bar in Loughinisland, Northern Ireland, where a Protestant terror group kills six men who were watching the game. The tragedy is a low point in the Northern Ireland conflict, as well as a turning point, as it would ultimately contribute to paramilitaries on both sides calling ceasefires just weeks later.

The Myth of Garrincha

Examining the legend of Mané Garrincha, who overcame bent legs to lead Brazil to two World Cup wins through his amusing style of play, and the efforts of his family and fans to give him a proper burial in Rio de Janeiro after his death in 1983. The Myth of Garrincha originally went by the title Garrincha: Crippled Angel during production.

Mysteries of the Jules Rimet Trophy

The Jules Rimet Trophy, awarded to the World Cup winners from 1930 to 1970, is a prize shrouded in mystery, as the whereabouts of the original trophy is unknown. This film focuses on the trophy's first brush with crime—a Nazi plan to steal the Rimet Trophy from Italy during World War II—and Ottorino Barassi, an Italian soccer official who attempted to protect the valued prize.

White, Blue and White

After leading their national team to victory in the 1978 FIFA World Cup, Argentines Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa join Tottenham Hotspur, becoming cult heroes in England after leading Spurs to the 1981 FA Cup Final. Things radically change, however, when a conflicted Ardiles leaves Spurs and returns to Buenos Aires after Argentine troops descend on the British-ruled Falkland Islands, asserting sovereignty over the territory and resulting in the Falklands War.