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7.6k voters

The Best Sports Movies Ever Made

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated January 22, 2021 120.2k votes 7.6k voters 128.9k views204 items

List RulesMovies about sports teams or athletes

Here is the ultimate list of the best sports movies ever made. Most guys, even some girls can't resist a tale about mostly make believe athletes. Sports may be the overarching theme in these movies, but that doesn't mean that there's anything deeper beneath the surface. These movies allow us guys to connect with our inner emotions through hidden love stories, tales of adversity, humor and ultimately the triumph of the human spirit.

At the heart of the best sports movies is relationships between the characters. Some of the best sports films like Rocky, Raging Bull and the Blind Side have either been nominated and/or won multiple Academy Awards. Others like Brian's Song, Hoosiers and Field of Dreams often times will cause viewers to feel triumphant with the characters, if they don't shed a tear as well.

But people can't resist an amazingly funny sports film. You can point to classics like Major League, Caddyshack, Bad News Bears and White Men Can't Jump as the best sports comedies.

Anyone can contribute to this list of the best sports movies, which makes this ranking an accurate, real-time reflection of the crowd's collective opinion. Rank your favorites or add whatever sports movie you see missing.

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A League of Their Own
Madonna, Tom Hanks
Released: 1992
Directed by: Penny Marshall
A League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account... more
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#3 of 12 Movies Where The Cast And Crew Disagreed About Its Meaning#6 of 15 15 People Share The Movie Pep Talks They Turn To When They Need To Be Inspired
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1,882
1,435
Rocky
Sylvester Stallone, Joe Frazier
Released: 1976
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen. A small-time boxer... more
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#20 of 46 Movies That Won Best Picture at the Oscars and Golden Globes#13 of 92 The Very Best Oscar-Winning Movies For Best Picture
3
1,825
1,142
The Sandlot
James Earl Jones, Denis Leary
Released: 1993
Directed by: David M. Evans
The Sandlot, also known as The Sandlot Kids, is a 1993 American coming-of-age film Comedy... more
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1,654
1,255
Field of Dreams
Ben Affleck, Matt Damon
Released: 1989
Directed by: Phil Alden Robinson
Field of Dreams is a 1989 American fantasy-drama film directed by Phil Alden Robinson, who... more
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#124 of 170 The Most Utterly Depressing Movies Ever Made#12 of 50 The Best Oscar-Nominated Movies of the '80s
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1,597
1,237
Hoosiers
Gene Hackman, Dennis Hopper
Released: 1986
Directed by: David Anspaugh
Hoosiers is a 1986 sports film directed by David Anspaugh. A coach with a checkered past (Gene... more
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#159 of 196 The Biggest Tearjerker Movies of All Time#16 of 54 The Best Movies "Loosely" Based on True Stories
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1,759
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Major League
Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger
Released: 1989
Directed by: David S. Ward
Major League is a 1989 American sports comedy film written and directed by David S. Ward,... more
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#138 of 512 The Greatest Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked#18 of 305 The Funniest '80s Movies
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1,781
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Remember the Titans
Hayden Panettiere, Ryan Gosling
Released: 2000
Directed by: Boaz Yakin
Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports drama film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and... more
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#286 of 549 The Greatest Epic Movies Ever Made#95 of 152 Movies That Should Never Be Remade
8
1,607
1,257
Rudy
Vince Vaughn, Sean Astin
Released: 1993
Directed by: David Anspaugh
Rudy is a 1993 American sports film directed by David Anspaugh. It is an account of the life... more
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Things About The Real Rudy That The 'Rudy' Movie Purposely Misrepresents#59 of 275 The Best Movies Based On True Stories
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1,476
1,136
Caddyshack
Bill Murray, Chevy Chase
Released: 1980
Directed by: Harold Ramis
Caddyshack is a 1980 American sports comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian... more
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#11 of 126 The Funniest Movies Starring SNL Cast Members#9 of 20 Famous Movie Lines That Were Unscripted
10
1,354
1,055
Miracle
Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson
Released: 2004
Directed by: Gavin O'Connor
Miracle is a 2004 American sports docudrama about the United States men's hockey team, led by... more
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#19 of 99 The Most Patriotic Movies of All Time#12 of 63 The Best Sports Movies About Coaches
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1,266
1,008
Moneyball
Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill
Released: 2011
Directed by: Bennett Miller
Moneyball is an American 2011 biographical sports drama film directed by Bennett Miller from a... more
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1,189
956
Happy Gilmore
Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller
Released: 1996
Directed by: Dennis Dugan
Happy Gilmore is a 1996 sports comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and produced by Robert... more
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'Happy Gilmore' Is Secretly A Drama About Dealing With Loss And Grief#12 of 16 Movie 'Heroes' Who Were Actually Villains The Whole Time
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Jerry Maguire
Tom Cruise, Lucy Liu
Released: 1996
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
Jerry Maguire is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama sports film written, produced and... more
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#446 of 1,189 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#33 of 126 The Greatest Date Movies Of All Time

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42
Chadwick Boseman, Nicole Beharie
Released: 2013
Directed by: Brian Helgeland
42 is a 2013 American biographical sports film directed by Brian Helgeland. The powerful story... more
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#6 of 91 Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories#152 of 665 The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked
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1,006
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Rocky II
Sylvester Stallone, Burgess Meredith
Released: 1979
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Rocky II is a 1979 American sports drama film directed by Sylvester Stallone, and the second... more
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#65 of 553 The Best '70s Movies#12 of 154 The Best Movie Sequels Ever Made
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Bull Durham
Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon
Released: 1988
Directed by: Ron Shelton
Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy sports film. It is partly based upon the minor... more
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The Blind Side
Sandra Bullock, Lily Collins
Released: 2009
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical sports drama film. It was written and... more
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#14 of 91 The Best Movies With Christian Themes#111 of 141 The Best College Movies Ever
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Rocky III
Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire
Released: 1982
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Rocky III is a 1982 American sports drama film directed by Sylvester Stallone, and the third... more
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#131 of 557 The Greatest Film Scores of All Time#15 of 136 The Best Third Films In A Movie Series
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For Love of the Game
Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston
Released: 1999
Directed by: Sam Raimi
For Love of the Game is a 1999 American drama sports film based on the novel of the same title... more
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#230 of 541 The Greatest Guilty Pleasure Movies#206 of 291 The Greatest Soundtracks of All Time
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Raging Bull
Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci
Released: 1980
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Raging Bull is a 1980 American biographical black-and-white sports drama film directed by... more
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501
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The Bad News Bears
Tatum O'Neal, Jackie Earle Haley
Released: 1976
Directed by: Michael Ritchie
The Bad News Bears is a 1976 comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie. It stars Walter Matthau... more
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#40 of 54 The Best Movies Where the Bad Guy Wins#223 of 456 The Most Quotable Movies of All Time
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Creed
Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan
Released: 2015
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Creed is a 2015 American sports drama film directed by Ryan Coogler. The former World... more
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#44 of 101 The Best Black Romance Movies, Ranked#822 of 1,540 The Most Rewatchable Movies
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773
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Cool Runnings
John Candy, Malik Yoba
Released: 1993
Directed by: Jon Turteltaub
Cool Runnings is a 1993 American sports film directed by Jon Turteltaub, and starring Leon,... more
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#35 of 252 The Funniest '90s Movies#47 of 144 The Funniest Black Movies Ever Made

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The Natural
Kim Basinger, Robert Redford
Released: 1984
Directed by: Barry Levinson
The Natural is a 1984 sports drama. It is a film adaptation of Bernard Malamud's 1952 baseball... more
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#9 of 14 Movies That Threw Book Endings Out The Window Completely#104 of 450 The Best Movies For Guys
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Eight Men Out
Charlie Sheen, Christopher Lloyd
Released: 1988
Directed by: John Sayles
Eight Men Out is a drama film based on Eliot Asinof's 1963 book 8 Men Out. It was written and... more
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#70 of 198 The Best Historical Drama Movies Of All Time#14 of 73 The Best John Cusack Movies of All Time