The 15 Best Sports Movies Ever Made, Ranked

Sports bring people together, whether it be the players on the field or the viewers in the stands (or on their couch at home), and sports movies do the same thing. The beautiful thing about the latter is that even those of us who really don't care about watching sports can still enjoy them in the form of narrative tales exploring the highs and lows experienced by athletes at all levels. That's because, ultimately, sports movies are human stories. Even better? Most of them are underdog tales too.

We love a good underdog film, and sports movies offer ample opportunities for scrappy amateurs and down on their luck pros alike to step up and beat the odds. Done well, these films can be all manner of thrilling, entertaining, and inspiring, and the films below are among the best of the best at holding our attention and earning our affection. The specific sports in each film play an integral role, but they're never more important than the people playing.

Now keep reading for a look at the 15 best sports movies ever made, ranked.

Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) has known the scuffed-up glory of baseball's minor leagues, but he's all about the cash and booze these days. That just might change, though, when he takes on coaching duties for the worst Little League team around.

Michael Ritchie's 1976 classic is a cheer worthy romp and one of the greatest baseball movies ever. Matthau is at his grumpy best, Tatum O'Neal and Jackie Earle Haley are standouts among the kids, and there's an irreverent approach to the foul-mouthed youths as they cuss, have attitude, and end the film with an underage beer party.

While the Bears are terrible players at first, we see their progress as both the team and Buttermaker grow to actually feel pride in what they're doing. They come together like a team should, and along the way "The Bad News Bears" explores the pressures that adults too frequently place on kids when it comes to sports or other activities where they need to be "the best." Inappropriate laughs and heart make a great combination.

The Von Erich family is a name synonymous with professional wrestling, and they're only getting stronger in the early 1980s. For each success, though, comes outsized tragedy.

The Von Erich family was a sports dynasty like many others, for the most part, except their reign was riddled with injury and death. "The Iron Claw" — named after the family's legendary signature move in the wrestling ring — follows their rise to the top of the sport while documenting the high price they paid to get there.

Sean Durkin's film is a sad story of unchecked ambition and unbelievably bad luck, and it makes the individual culpabilities clear. From a father who pushes his sons (Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, and Jeremy Allen White) too hard to the competitive drive that sees them make unwise choices, it's an exploration of the darker side of sports that rarely gets play on the big screen. The film doesn't shy away from the mental health issues that help drive two of the brothers to suicide, and odds are good you'll be crying by the end.

A hole is left in the world of baseball when men go off to fight in World War II, so promoters devise an ingenious idea: all-female teams!

Baseball is America's sport, and the number of baseball films on this list speaks to its enduring popularity. Penny Marshall's "A League of Their Own" explores a time when that popularity began to fade only to find new life in the unexpected sight of women on the field. The film manages to be a comedy, drama, and underdog sports tale, and it succeeds thanks to sharp writing, a strong cast, and the weight of history.

Geena Davis and Lori Petty headline as two sisters who've joined the league, while Tom Hanks gives an unforgettable turn as a grumpy coach who wants to be anywhere but in the dugout with women. Contrasts and conflicts abound, but they come together just in time for the war to end and the league to go with it. It's an inspiring story about what could have been (including two failed TV shows that followed).

It's 1980, and the tennis world is preparing to see Bjorn Borg win Wimbledon for a record-setting fifth straight year. There's a possible upset on the horizon, though, in the form of a rude, cantankerous American named John McEnroe.

We really don't get enough tennis movies, and that's a shame because the sport and its players are ripe for dramatic thrills both on and off the court. "Challengers" could just as easily be in this spot, but "Borg vs. McEnroe" takes it for being every bit as captivating while also being based on a true story. Borg and McEnroe were both terrific players, each with their own styles, strengths, and weaknesses, and the film explores the lead up to their still-brilliant five-set final at 1980's Wimbledon.

The film's structure shifts between that build-up and flashbacks to their early days as amateurs and budding professionals, and it remains both dramatic and engaging as backstory informs the two players' mindsets on the court. Sverrir Gudnason and Shia LaBeouf give terrific, committed performances resulting in a rare sports film that has you cheering for both sides.

The general manager of the Oakland A's knows his team needs a shakeup, but with a meager budget for hiring new players, he's forced into an unorthodox choice. He hires a math nerd who computes, compiles, and recommends players based solely on their on base percentage.

Baseball is played on the field, but hundreds of decisions are made off the field that are every bit as important. "Moneyball" follows the true story of how Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) changed the game when it comes to hiring and using players. Pitt and Hill make for a fun duo, opposites who find a common trust and faith in what they're doing, and they infuse the film with a level of personality that rivals the thrills on the field.

On paper, at least, the film's synopsis sounds pretty far from exciting, but the script by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin bring Michael Lewis' bestselling book to vivid life. Number-crunching has rarely been so electric, and there's a real thrill to seeing the underdogs — players and general managers — find themselves on a hot streak. If you like it, there are plenty more movies you would enjoy.

Roy McAvoy (Kevin Costner) was once a big deal on the golf course, but his lack of discipline has left him washed up and hanging out at a low-trafficked driving range until an opportunity arises to qualify for the U.S. Open.

Costner has a deep filmography, but he has a clear affinity for sports films, as evident by his movies about cycling ("American Flyers"), baseball ("Bull Durham," "Field of Dreams," "For Love of the Game"), cross-country running ("McFarland, USA"), and football ("Draft Day"). "Tin Cup" might not get the same respect as many of those, but it's one of the greatest golf movies and absolutely deserves your love.

It's a funny, sexy, playful film about a true underdog who swings to his own drum, that achieves the near impossible by making golf both interesting and suspenseful, and we get great turns by Don Johnson and Rene Russo. More than that, though, it's the rare sports movie that understands you don't always need to win to be a winner. Like "Rocky" and "Lucas" before him, Roy succeeds not by winning but by being true to himself, and that's no small thing.

Monica and Quincy have been friends since childhood, and both of them love and play basketball. Things get more complicated when they realize they just might love each other, too.

Gina Prince-Bythewood's "Love & Basketball" is a beautiful film approaching the sport from a unique angle. We follow both players, first as kids through high school and then into college and professional life, and while their relationship shifts over time, the constant of basketball remains. Both are great at the game, and both have personal struggles that need conquering if they're going to make into the majors.

Omar Epps does good work as Quincy, but Sanaa Lathan steals the film (and the ball more than once) as Monica butts up against sexism writ small and large. It's been a quarter century since the film opened, and while women's basketball has come a long way, it still has a long way to go in a world where too may dismiss it out of hand. As well as she plays, Monica struggles to reach the same heights of public acceptance and celebration as mediocre male players.

Dave is a teen living a working-class life in Indiana, but he dreams about competitive cycling and riding alongside the celebrated team from Italy. He's about to get his chance.

Peter Yates' masterful and extremely funny "Breaking Away" is one the most underseen films on this list, meaning some of you should seek it out immediately. Youthful obsession, first love, family squabbles, crushing disappointment, and the thrill of the wind in your hair as you cycle around a track all play a part here making for a sporting comedy that doubles as a sweetly entertaining coming-of-age film.

Dennis Christopher takes lead as the teen obsessed with all things Italian, but his friends and family make for a fantastic ensemble including Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, Jackie Earle Haley, and the great Paul Dooley and Barbara Barrie as Dave's long-suffering parents. It's an underdog tale that sees a dream crushed even as another blossoms, and it's as cheer-worthy as they come. The film also explores class in engaging and funny ways as the blue-collar Dave butts up against restrictions set by others — and then rides right through them.

A small town in Indiana sees a new coach arrive for the high school basketball team, and while Norman comes with baggage, he also comes with determination and heart.

Gene Hackman towers over "Hoosiers" as a new coach with a past, and that fiery temper remains as he deals with doubters at every turn. Norman teaches the boys to focus on the fundamentals of the game instead of worrying about winning or losing, and that lesson holds true for his own part in the game too. Hackman exudes authority, but his emotional turn is every bit as powerful.

Dennis Hopper co-stars as a town drunk and father to one of the players, and he does great work as a man given a second chance (by the coach). The underdog theme plays out beyond just the team to touch the coaches, the school, and the town itself leading to a rousing final moment at the state championship as everything falls into place. It's why the film continues to find audiences four decades later.

Odessa is a small Texas town where tension and boredom hang in the unmoving air, but one thing is capable of bringing its people together and stirring up real energy: the high school's football games on Friday night.

"Friday Night Lights" is one of the great football movies that celebrates the need for inspiration in small-town America and how it's frequently found in the collective thrill of local sports. Based on the town's real high school team in 1988, it's an inspiring story that doesn't shy away from the failures while in pursuit of success, and Billy Bob Thornton captivates as a coach determined to do his best for the boys by encouraging them to be their best. 

There's a mythologizing aspect to it all as teenagers are elevated to heroic status that sees some stumble while others rise to the occasion. Towns like Odessa have little else to hang onto, little else to believe in, and as everything else works to drive people apart, these games bring them together — if only for a little while. The subsequent TV series adaptation explores these themes in even greater detail.

Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) is a farmer, a family man, and a level-headed guy — but then he starts hearing a voice inside his head that he just can't resist.

That synopsis sounds like the setup for a serial killer film, but "Field of Dreams" is actually a warm-hearted and perfectly saccharine story about family, tradition, and our love of baseball. Ray knows the voice is a sign of madness, but what if it isn't? What if something is guiding him towards connection, kindness, and reconciliation? The film lets the mystery unfold with humor and friendship at the forefront as genuine heart and an appeal towards selflessness runs through it all.

There's a deep affection here for both baseball and its players, but even greater is the film's love for time spent with the people in our lives. For Ray, it's bonding with his wife and daughter or playing catch with a long-gone dad, but the story differs for others with the key element being the importance of not leaving memories to gather dust. Revisit them, make new ones, and never forget that time is precious. The love of the game is the love of experiences with others.

Two brothers, estranged and living wholly different lives, both aim to win an MMA tournament, but only one can stand tall in the end.

Mixed martial arts is an ugly, brutal sport that balances its brutality with technique, determination, and bruised persistence. "Warrior" finds real beauty in it, though, with its focus on characters and drama threatening to bubble over in the octagon. It helps that Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy both bring physical commitment and real emotional range as men still learning how to be better than their dad (a terrifically haggard Nick Nolte). There's a sadness that the brothers have channeled differently making for some visceral fight action.

Sports films typically focus on a player, a team, a protagonist as the "good guys" going up against an opponent, and it means viewers know who they're meant to cheer for. This is a truly rare example, though, of a sports film where we want both sides to win. We're cheering for both even as we know that one winner means one loser, and the result is an incredibly tense and thrilling finale that leaves us both elated and heartbroken.

Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro) was a legendary champion inside the boxing ring, but the fights he lost outside of it carried a heavier toll.

Sports can bring out the best in people, but they can't hide who a person really is. Jake was an angry, jealous, brute of a guy, and those things served him well while punching his way through opponents on his way to a championship belt. "Raging Bull" takes us outside the ring, though, and into the man's daily life where the urge to pummel causes only pain and suffering. De Niro embodies that character well through thick and thin, but it's Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty who give life to people whose love for Jake soon crumbles.

Martin Scorsese captures the man's life with equal parts sweat and pathos, but it's the action in the ring that seals this as one of the great sports films. Along with cinematographer Michael Chapman, Scorsese puts us in the boxer's shoes like never before as we feel the speed and impact of the fight choreography. This is the rise and fall of a man who was ultimately his own toughest opponent, and it's shocking that it almost didn't get made.

Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) spent a short time in the majors, but he knows those days are over. He can't let go of baseball, though, so he settles for being the most experienced guy still hanging around in the minor leagues.

For all the stories about young players on the rise, their whole futures ahead of them, there's an argument to be made that sports movies about players on the other side of things are far more interesting. "Bull Durham" had a rough road to production and sees Costner embody the tired, whimsical, regretful, and wise Crash with a comfortable, lived-in ease — character traits he would revisit the following decade with "Tin Cup" — and he makes a fantastic counter to Tim Robbins' spunky, energetic newcomer who's hoping to ride his pitching arm all the way to his own shot at the majors.

The two have terrific comedic chemistry and land some great lines while Susan Sarandon finds an equally charismatic pairing with Costner with its own fun and sexy vibes. Character beats are strong even as the film's throughline about the draw of baseball stays heartfelt and sincere. These characters love the game.

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is a no-name boxer who lands an unforgettable opportunity with a match against the current heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Now he just has to come out the other side.

Whether or not boxing is your bag, there's no denying the pure power of "Rocky." Undeniably one of the greatest sports movies, definitely one of the best underdog films, and a triumph for its marble-mouthed lead and screenwriter (Stallone), this is a film powered by one man's determination and belief in himself. Rocky's a blue-collar hero, an average guy who strives for more and goes on to earn it, and his journey is the epitome of inspirational cinema.

"Rocky" is a franchise starter about a fighter who loses in the end only to be treated like a winner anyway. Characters and viewers alike can't help but respond to grit, heart, and hard work with accolades and approval, and it's a message that too many people in the real world tend to forget. That and some intense, beautifully shot boxing action make this one an unforgettable winner.