Next Goal Wins is a 2023 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Taika Waititi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Iain Morris.

It is based on the 2014 documentary of the same name by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison about Dutch-American coach Thomas Rongen's efforts to lead the American Samoa national football team, considered one of the weakest association football teams in the world, to qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The film stars Michael Fassbender as Rongen, alongside Oscar Kightley, Kaimana, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale, Will Arnett, and Elisabeth Moss.

Next Goal Wins premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2023, and was released in the United States on November 17, 2023, by Searchlight Pictures.

After yet another humiliating defeat in 2011 Pacific Games, Tavita Taumua who heads the nation's football federation announces that he will hire a new coach.

That event affected Rongen so deeply that he continues to feel guilty and often shows emotional outbursts throughout his managerial career.

Rongen went on to be the Chief Scout for the United States national team, before working as commentator at CBS Sports.

Jaiyah was the first openly transgender athlete to compete in a World Cup Qualifier, and later became FIFA ambassador for equality.

It was announced in August 2019, that Fox Searchlight Pictures had set up an initially unspecified project that would see Taika Waititi write and direct prior to his obligations to Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).

[11] In November 2019, it was announced Kaimana, Oscar Kightley, David Fane, Beulah Koale, Lehi Falepapalangi, Semu Filipo, Uli Latukefu, Rachel House, Rhys Darby, Angus Sampson, Chris Alosio and Sisa Grey had joined the cast of the film, with Moss being confirmed.

[12][13][14] In December 2019, Armie Hammer joined the cast of the film, playing an executive with Football Federation American Samoa.

[4][5] In the United States and Canada, Next Goal Wins was released alongside The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Trolls Band Together, and Thanksgiving, and was projected to gross around $5 million from 2,240 theaters in its opening weekend.

The website's consensus reads: "Next Goal Wins finds director/co-writer Taika Waititi with his heart in the right place, even if his crowd-pleasing aim has noticeably strayed from its target.