EXCLUSIVE: Round 12 has acquired international sales rights for Juan Cabral and Santiago Franco’s documentary The Match, about the legendary Argentina-England 1986 World Cup quarter final, ahead of its debut in Cannes Premiere.
It marks the first sales acquisition of a Cannes Official Selection title for the sports-focused label, since its creation by Mediawan and Goodfellas in January.
As the 40th anniversary of the match fast approaches, Argentinian directors Cabral and Franco delve into the bigger story behind the iconic game which took place on June 22, 1986, just four years after the 1982 Falklands War/Malvinas War.
Using rare archival footage such as Maradona’s controversial “Hand of God” goal, the film reconstructs the match as a living memory but also as the culmination of more than two hundred years of tension, encounters, and conflict between the two nations.
Narrated by English and Argentinian football legends, such as Gary Lineker and Jorge Valdano, the film weaves together interviews, archival material and a cinematic approach that blends historical depth with emotional resonance, to contrast the beauty of football with the lingering absurdity of war, allowing the echoes of both to resonate into the present day.
The film also features testimonies from players such as Oscar Ruggeri, Ricardo Giusti, Jorge Burruchaga and Julio Olarticoechea on the Argentinian side and John Barnes and Peter Shilton for the English side.
The story is further enriched by music from British band Queen, which toured Argentina in 1981, with Maradona even taking to the stage in their final show, in a rare moment of cultural encounter amid intense political tension, echoing the spirit at the heart of the film.
The film is based on Argentinian sports journalist Andrés Burgo’s 2016 book El Partido.
It is Cabral’s third feature after Two/One, which premiered at Tribeca and was released globally on Mubi in 2020, and fantasy drama Risa and the Wind Phone, which won best film and best director at the 40th Mar del Plata International Film Festival.
Franco makes his feature debut after a series of award-winning shorts and ad campaigns.
Primetime Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Flora Fernandez Marengo (The Guard. War On Everyone, The Betrayal ) lead produces under her Labhouse banner with Industria del Milagro and in co-production with Blurr Stories.
“The Match is a film about memory, identity and the strange ways history finds its way onto a pitch. To have it premiere at Cannes is beyond what we hoped for when we started this journey,” she said
The Argentinian released is scheduled on May 21 by Buena Vista International.
Round 12 said The Match was in keeping with the founding ambitions of partners Mediawan Sport and Goodfellas to produce, develop and bring to market fiction and documentary content rooted in the world of sport.
“The Match is a perfect embodiment of that vision. It tells a sports story that extends far beyond the pitch, showing how a single football match can come to encapsulate decades of political tension,” said the company. “Through previously unseen archive footage, the documentary captures both the beauty of the game and the profound complexity of human relationships.”
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