Losing streak
Michael Fassbender tackles football’s most-impossible job
The Beautiful Game isn’t the only feel-good football movie landing on our screens this week. Based on true events, Disney+’s Next Goal Wins tells the story of American Samoa’s national football team – who were dubbed the world’s worst following a 31-0 thrashing by Australia in 2001.
To revive their fortunes, down-on-his-luck Dutch-us coach Thomas Rongen (The Killer’s Michael Fassbender) is hired to help the South Pacific island regain its dignity and turn the no-hopers into world-beaters. Trouble is, Thomas is struggling with an alcohol problem after the death of his daughter in a car crash, while he soon realises his squad has ‘zero talent or understanding of the game’.
Directed by Jojo Rabbit’s Taika Waititi, the film also features The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss as Thomas’ football-executive ex-wife, Gail.
Here, Fassbender, 46, tells us more…
Why did you sign up for the movie? I was enchanted by the story. It is such a heartfelt, life-affirming human story, which really affected me. The American Samoa team just kept getting up and striving. I found that infectious.
It’s quite a departure from your previous roles, isn’t it? I’ve been trying to do comedy for years. Nobody would hire me. As a movie fan, I love watching comedies. You can really strike home and hit deep moments very profoundly when it’s within a comedy because when people are laughing, their guard is down.
Did you meet the real Thomas Rongen?
I never met Thomas, and the character we deliver in the film is very different. But there was obviously a crucial part of his real-life story – the connection with his daughter. It’s very much a broken person that we meet at the beginning of the film, and it’s only through arriving in American Samoa that he starts to heal.
Are you a football fan? I’m not a huge football fan, but I support Liverpool and tune into certain games. When it comes to playing, I am average at best. In terms of sports, motorsport is really what I follow.