A Beautiful Team, a comedy directed by Mohamed Hamidi, airs on France 2 on Sunday, May 24, 2026 at 9:10 PM. Released in cinemas in 2020, the film brings together Kad Merad, Alban Ivanov and Céline Sallette in a story about amateur football, local solidarity, and a women’s team.
A Great Team
Film | 2020
Theatrical release: January 15, 2020
Broadcast on France 2: Sunday, May 24, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Comedy | Running time: 1h35
Directed by Mohamed Hamidi | Screenplay: Mohamed Hamidi, Alain-Michel Blanc
Starring Kad Merad, Alban Ivanov, Céline Sallette
Country: France
After a brawl, the entire football squad from Clourrières, a small Northern town, is suspended for the rest of the season. To keep the club from fading away, Marco, the coach played by Kad Merad, decides to assemble an all-female team to finish the championship. The plan upends the village's routines and the delicate balance surrounding the club.
A Beautiful Team continues Mohamed Hamidi’s thread of cinema, already rooted in stories about bringing together groups that seem bound to clash. After The Cow and So Far So Good, the director now centers the clash between men and women within a sports comedy, with football serving as the social and popular arena.
Official trailer for Une belle équipe
Our take:
For his third feature, Mohamed Hamidi again tackles the issue of clichés, this time the male–female difference. The premise isn’t exactly groundbreaking. Yet, much like his film Jusqu’ici tout va bien, Hamidi shows he knows how to handle clichés with lightness and plenty of humor.
The comedy is especially buoyed by Alban Ivanov, whose presence brings a refreshing spark to the script. Kad Merad is also touching in the role of a football coach who stays committed to the women’s team despite the challenges that come their way. The players’ determination to save the club adds real stakes to the story.
With this movie, Hamidi sought to confront clichés in order to celebrate solidarity. A successful bet on that front. Less so on originality. Still, a strong ensemble makes for an entertaining watch that will keep you smiling through the credits.
The project grew out of Mohamed Hamidi’s desire to tell a story centered on women leads. Football, long considered a male preserve, lets him flip the power dynamics and place a group of women at the heart of a popular setting. Filming took place in the North of France, notably around Douai, in Vitry-en-Artois and in Auby.
To stage the match scenes, the cast spent several months training with Aurélie Meynard, a former France international, while Corine Petit, European champion with Lyon, also comes on board for the film. The story remains fictional, but it draws on a real sporting dynamic: there is gender mixing in some amateur circles, even though official adult leagues remain largely separate.
To go further, also discover our pick of films, series and programs to watch on TV this week, our guide to releases across all platforms, and today’s selection Que voir aujourd’hui en streaming.
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