Release date, trailer, cast and the story behind the film

Back in 2014, Mike Brett and Steve Jamison directed the sports documentary, Next Goal Wins, which followed American Samoa’s ambitious bid to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

Some nine years later and New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi is taking Next Goal Wins to the big screen, backed by a stellar cast that includes Hollywood royalty Michael Fassbender and Elisabeth Moss, as well as Arrested Development star Will Arnett.

To whet the appetite ahead of the film’s release, here’s everything you need to know about the film itself, American Samoa’s story, the cast and even who Fassbender and Waititi support in real life.

Next Goal Wins focuses on the real-life story of the American Samoa national team, who infamously suffered the worst international defeat of all time in 2001 – a crushing 31-0 defeat at the hands of Australia – and their bid to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.

Dutch-American coach Thomas Rongen, formerly the manager of D.C United and United States-Under 20s among others, is hired with the intention of delivering American Samoa’s ambitious target, and the film follows the emotion and learnings of a group of players looking to do their country proud.

Set to ABBA’s “Take a Chance on Me”, the film will have a dash of comedy thrown in to lighten the mood while providing a captivating insight into the trials and tribulations of all involved in American Samoa’s dream.

The film is due to the released by Searchlight Pictures on October 20 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with a release in the United States and Canada slated for a month later on November 17.

The 2014 documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was crowned Best Documentary at the British Independent Film Awards.

The Next Goal Wins official trailer was released on April 26, quickly drawing the attention of an international audience.

You can watch the trailer below.

Irish actor Michael Fassbender, known for his feature film debut in The 300 and portrayal of X-Men villain Magneto, plays the lead role of American Samoan head coach, Thomas Rongen.

The Handmaid’s Tale and The Invisible Man star Elisabeth Moss is also part of the cast, as is film director Waititi – he will play the role of a local priest.

Arrested Development’s Will Arnett is another familiar face in the film, playing the role of Alex Magnussen.