The 30 best sports movies

David vs Goliath

With Creed soon to step into the ring in UK cinemas, we thought it was about time we rounded up the best sports movies to date. Everyone loves an underdog story and no matter how many times the formula is played, the very best movies make you cheer along regardless.

30. Blades of Glory (2007)

The story: Two rival Olympic ice skaters (Will Ferrell and Jon Heder) are permanently banned from the men's single competition after a fight at the World Championships. A few years later, they find a loophole that will mean they can compete as a pairs team.

29. Tin Cup (1996)

The story: Talented golf pro Roy McAvoy (Kevin Costner) owns a driving range in Texas with almost no customers. The visit of a psychologist Molly Griswold (Rene Russo) starts him on a journey to return to the PGA golf tour to compete in the US Open.

28. Chalet Girl (2011)

The story: Former skateboarding champion Kim Mathews (Felicity Jones) discovers her gift for snowboarding when she starts working at an exclusive ski resort and decides to enter a competition with a big cash prize.

Why it's great: Sure, the use of a Lostprophets track as the soaring background music to the finale is now a bit dodgy, but there's no denying that Chalet Girl absolutely nails the crowdpleasing underdog triumph finale needed in a sports movie. It owes a lot to a completely winning performance from Jones that should have made her a bigger star already. Ah well, Rogue One should sort that out this year.

27. Bring It On (2000)

The story: Recently named captain of her school's winning cheerleading squad, Torrance Shipman (Kirsten Dunst) is determined to lead her team to another national title. But they'll face stiff competition from a Los Angeles hip-hop squad who are looking to settle a grudge.

26. Space Jam (1996)

The story: When a gang of aliens kidnap Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes, Bugs challenges them to a basketball game to determine their fate. The aliens agree but steal the powers of talented NBA players, leading Bugs to get some help from a certain Michael Jordan.

25. Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001)

The story: After the England team's manager dies of a heart attack, the FA offer the position to inept manager Mike Bassett (Ricky Tomlinson) who finds himself trying to lead England to victory at the World Cup.

24. White Men Can't Jump (1992)

The story: Hustler Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) banks on black players underestimating his basketball skills. One of his victims, Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes) spots a chance to earn some money and they become partners on the con game across Los Angeles.

23. Caddyshack (1980)

The story: While working as a caddy to raise money for his college education, Danny Noonan (Michael O'Keefe) volunteers to caddy for an influential club member (Ted Knight) while following advice from golf guru Ty Webb (Chevy Chase).

22. The Bad News Bears (1976)

The story: Hard-drinking Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) agrees to coach a Little League baseball team of misfits and outcasts. And fails . But his luck looks to change when feisty pitcher Amanda Whurlitzer (Tatum O'Neal) joins the team.

21. Slap Shot (1977)

The story: With the failing ice hockey team Charlestown Chiefs set for their last ever season, player and coach Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman) agrees to let the Hanson Brothers play, and their violent style of play excites the fans and draws big crowds.

20. The Big Lebowski (1998)

The story: Laid-back Jeff 'The Dude' Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) isn't happy that his beloved rug has been soiled. Enlisting the help of his bowling buddies, he sets out to get even with the mobsters who are after the wife of the millionaire he's been mistaken for.

19. Million Dollar Baby (2004)

The story: Veteran boxing trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) only has one close friend, Eddie 'Scrap Iron' Dupris (Morgan Freeman). That all changes when Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) arrives in his gym and he reluctantly agrees to share his expertise.

18. A League of Their Own (1992)

The story: When a professional all-female baseball league is started up, competitive sisters Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) and Kit Keller (Lori Petty) join it and recruit has-been coach Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks). But their growing rivalry threatens their team's success.

17. The Wrestler (2008)

The story: Long past his prime, Randy 'The Ram' Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is limping along performing at town hall shows on the indie circuit. As he tries to pursue a relationship with a stripper (Marisa Tomei) and reconnect with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood), he finds himself lured back into the ring.

16. Any Given Sunday (1999)

The story: Tony D'Amato's (Al Pacino) American Football team Miami Sharks are struggling after a series of losses. And if that wasn't bad enough, he's under pressure to win at any cost from the young president of the organisation, Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz).

15. The Karate Kid (1984)

The story: Daniel (Ralph Macchio) finds himself the target of bullies after he moves to Southern California. He befriends martial arts master Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita) who trains him up to compete against the Cobra Kai gang.

14. Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

The story: Jess Bhamra (Parminder Nagra) rebels against her strict parents when Jules Paxton (Keira Knightley) convinces her to play for their semi-pro team. Jess has to balance hiding the matches from her family while dealing with her feelings for the team's coach (Jonathan Rhys Meyers).

13. Bull Durham (1988)

The story: When the 'mascot' (Susan Sarandon) of baseball team the Durham Bulls takes new recruit Ebby Calvin Laloosh (Tim Robbins) under her wing to teach him about life and love, a love triangle forms between the two and veteran player Crash Davis (Kevin Costner).

12. Creed (2015)

The story: Former world heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) agrees to train up Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the son of his late friend and rival Apollo Creed.

11. Escape to Victory (1981)

The story: The head of a German PoW camp, Karl von Steiner (Max von Sydow) organises a football match between Nazi players and their Allied captives, including former professional player John Colby (Michael Caine). As the team train for the match, fellow PoW Robert Hatch (Sylvester Stallone) plans a daring mass escape.

10. Jerry Maguire (1996)

The story: Sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) gets fired when he writes a company-wide memo after a crisis of confidence. Aiming to hold onto his athletes, he starts up his own management firm and banks on their sole client, football player Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.).

9. Friday Night Lights (2004)

The story: When star player Boobie Miles (Derek Luke) is injured during the first game of the season, new coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) has to inspire the other team members of the high school football team to victory.

8. The Mighty Ducks (1992)

The story: After being arrested for drink driving, lawyer and former hockey player Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) has to coach a distinctly average kids hockey team for his community service. It leads him into a championship face-off with his former coach, Jack Reilly (Lane Smith).

7. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)

The story: To save his gym, Average Joe's owner Peter La Fleur (Vince Vaughn) and a group of members and employees enter a dodgeball contest with a big cash prize. All they have to do is beat White Goodman's (Ben Stiller) powerful team from high-end business rival Globo-Gym.

6. Field of Dreams (1989)

The story: "If you build it, he will come." That's the message farmer Ray (Kevin Costner) hears that persuades him to build a baseball diamond in his field. The ghosts of players, including 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta), start to appear as Ray learns valuable life lessons.

5. Hoosiers (1986)

The story: Failed coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) gets a shot at redemption when he's hired to direct the basketball programme at a high school. However, when their star player is persuaded to quit, Dale struggles to develop a winning team alongside his assistant coach, alcoholic Shooter (Dennis Hopper).

4. Chariots of Fire (1981)

The story: Centring on the fact-based story of two athletes - devout Christian Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson) and English Jew Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) - who train for the 1924 Paris Olympics.

3. The Hustler (1961)

The story: After losing all of his money, up-and-coming pool player Fast Eddie (Paul Newman) returns to challenge legendary player Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). Along the way though, he falls for Sarah (Piper Laurie) and ends up paying a terrible cost in his quest for redemption.

2. Raging Bull (1980)

The story: Middleweight boxer Jake La Motta (Robert De Niro) rises through the ranks to get his first shot at the title, but finds that his violence and temper destroys his life outside of the ring, including his relationships with his wife and family.

Why it's great: Marking Martin Scorsese's first collaboration with his long-time Oscar-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker, Raging Bull is an essential watch with one of cinema's greatest ever performances from De Niro. Crowdpleaser this isn't. It's a raw and violent psychological character study that ranks as the most realistic portrayal of boxing on screen. Even if you don't like the sport (Scorsese didn't when he made it), you need to watch it.

1. Rocky (1976)

The story: You know the tale by now. Small-time boxer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is arbitrarily chosen to take on the reigning world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) when his opponent is injured. As he prepares for the fight with respected trainer Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), Rocky falls for Adrian (Talia Shire).

Why it's great: Pretty much the polar opposite of Raging Bull, Rocky is one of the defining cinematic underdog stories. Launching Stallone as a movie star (he also won an Oscar for writing it), Rocky builds from a honest portrayal of a sports star given the classic 'one last shot' to an absolutely unforgettable and brutal final fight. The most telling thing about the brilliance of Rocky is that no matter how many times its finale has been homaged and aped, it still retains its power 40 years on.

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Ian Sandwell is an entertainment journalist, an avid FrightFester, and horror genre lover, as well as being a bit of a Marvel geek. Ian was the Features Writer at GamesRadar between 2015-2017, and has since moved on to Digital Spy where he currently sits as the website's movies editor.