Here at Kicking + Screening, we exist at the intersection of film and soccer. We’ve showcased hundreds of films that capture the passion, politics, and poetry of soccer.
But, for us, there’s one film that stands as the GOAT of the genre—a cinematic curiosity so wild, so earnest, and so wrapped in the mystique of the game that it is the eternal soccer film cult classic.
We’re talking, of course, about John Huston’s 1981 “masterpiece” Victory.
Depending on where you live, you might know it as Escape to Victory. You might know it as "that movie where Pele does the bicycle kick." Or "where Sly Stallone plays goalkeeper."
Regardless, Victory — and its impact and legacy — can’t be ignored. It is one of the most unexpected World War Two films from an Oscar-winning director ever. With one of the most unexpected ensemble casts, featuring accomplished actors (Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, Sylvester Stallone, Tim Piggott-Smith, etc.) and legendary footballers (Bobby Moore, Ossie Ardiles, Kazimierz Deyna).
On the 34th anniversary of its release, we’re taking a moment to pay homage to this brilliant film that continues to inspire us as festival organizers, as soccer fans, and as people who wish they could execute a perfect bicycle kick.
The Premise: The "Great Escape" Meets "Rocky"
The genius of Victory lies in its audacious concept. It takes the classic WWII prisoner-of-war escape formula (think The Great Escape) and merges it with a classic underdog sports movie structure (think Rocky, fittingly enough).
Set in a Nazi POW camp, the legendary Michael Caine stars as Captain John Colby, a former English professional player roped into organizing a match between a team of Allied prisoners and a German team as a propaganda stunt. Colby sees it as a way to boost morale; his commanding officers see it as the perfect cover for a mass escape from the stadium in occupied Paris.
Enter Sylvester Stallone as Captain Robert Hatch, a brash American escape artist who knows nothing about "soccer" but is determined to use the match to break free. He’s eventually forced into the unlikely role of the team's goalkeeper.
The final third of the movie is dedicated to the match itself—an epic showdown that takes place in front of thousands of roaring French citizens and senior Nazi officers. The stakes are simple: win the game, or gain your freedom.
The Trinity: Caine, Stallone, and Pelé
The film’s legacy is anchored by its surreal and arguably insane star-powered trinity. You have never seen a cast like this before, and you likely never will again.
Michael Caine: Caine brings a weary authority to the role of Colby. He is the stabilizing force, the man who understands that for his fellow soldiers, the chance to compete fairly—to be athletes again, not just prisoners—is its own form of resistance. Caine gives the film its heart and its dramatic grounding.
Sylvester Stallone: Fresh off Rocky, Stallone is, well, Stallone. His performance as Hatch is pure 1980s American ego, filled with hard stares, faux toughness, and comedic misunderstandings of the rules. While he reportedly struggled with the actual goalkeeping—even breaking a finger during filming—his underdog energy fits the film’s narrative arc perfectly. His climactic penalty save is pure cinema.
Pelé: And then there is Pelé. Victory isn't just a movie starring Pelé; it’s a showcase of his genius as a player and a personality. Playing Corporal Luis Fernandez of Trinidad, Pelé brings effortless joy to the screen. Even surrounded by movie stars, he is the most magnetic presence. When he has the ball, the film becomes a ballet.
The Legends on the Pitch
Victory is unique because it didn't rely on actors pretending to be good at soccer. The Allies’ team is a who’s who of international football legends of the 1960s and 70s.
Alongside Pelé, you see World Cup winner Bobby Moore (England), Osvaldo Ardiles (Argentina), Kazimierz Deyna (Poland), Paul Van Himst (Belgium), and numerous other pros.
The authenticity they bring to the action scenes—the quality of the passing, the first touches, the tackles—is unmatched. When they move the ball, you aren't watching stuntmen; you are watching masters of the craft.
The talent isn’t only on the Allies’ side. Werner Roth, the former New York Cosmos legend, plays Baumann, the Nazi team captain who finds himself in a penalty kick showdown — and staredown — with Stallone’s Hatch that sets up the dramatic finish to the match and the film.
The Bicycle Kick Heard 'Round the World
If Victory is remembered for only one image, it is the Bicycle Kick.
Down 4-1 at halftime, battered by German fouls and a biased referee, the Allies stage a legendary comeback. The turning point is Pelé’s moment of transcendent skill.
Injured early in the game, his character returns to the pitch for the final minutes. As a cross comes in, he rises to strike a perfect overhead volley into the corner of the net.
The stadium erupts. Even the Nazi officer who organized the match (played the great von Sydow) can’t help but stand and applaud. It’s the single most iconic soccer moment in film history, and it was executed by the man who invented the legend of the move himself.
Why Victory Matters to K+S
Victory might be campy. It might be historically inaccurate. It might be absurd that the prisoners choose to stay at halftime to finish the game rather than escape through the tunnel.
Whatever. This is Hollywood. Expect the absurd.
But, less expected, is how Victory gets to a fundamental truth of the game. Soccer, for us, is about culture, connection, unity. It’s about standing for something: for your teammates, for your community, for yourself.
At the end of Victory, the scoreline (4-4) is irrelevant. What matters is emotion that rises up in the crowd that overwhelms the Nazi guards to swarm the players and help them disappear into the freedom beyond the walls of the stadium. It's the ultimate pitch invasion.