Netflix’s Be Eternal: Champions of America is a documentary about a title drought that ended in 2021, and it treats that drought like a story worth telling again. The series follows Lionel Messi and the Argentine national team as they chase the Copa América trophy, a prize that had eluded Argentina for 28 years. Created by Juanma Martínez Medina, the show runs three episodes across a single season, first airing November 3, 2022.
The film’s central tension is simple: Messi wants a title, and he wants it badly enough that he plays through injury and exhaustion to get it. That tension carries the whole series.
Messi and the Drought
The documentary opens with Messi’s history with the national team. He has won everything at the club level, but international glory has been slow to arrive. The Copa América in 2021 was his chance to finally break through, and the film makes clear that everyone around him knew it. The pressure on Messi is visible in every scene, even when he is smiling.
Messi’s teammates are also central to the story. The film spends time with Lionel Scaloni, the coach who built the squad, and with players like Ángel Di María, Rodrigo De Paul, Lisandro Martínez, Leandro Paredes, Nicolás Otamendi, Sergio Agüero, Cristian Romero, Emiliano Martínez, Nicolás Tagliafico, and Ángel Correa. Each gets a moment in the spotlight, but the focus stays on Messi.
The 28-Year Gap
The drought is the engine of the entire series. Argentina had not won the Copa América since 1993, and the documentary shows how that failure weighed on the team. Every loss, every near-miss, every tournament that ended in disappointment is part of the story. The film does not rush past this history; it lets the weight of it sit.
The 28-year gap is the film’s emotional anchor. Without it, the victory at the end would feel hollow. With it, every goal, every save, and every celebration feels earned.
The Team Around Him
The supporting cast gives the documentary its texture. Scaloni is shown making tactical decisions and managing egos, while Di María and De Paul are shown carrying the attack. The defense is represented by Otamendi and Martínez, and the bench features Agüero and Correa. Each player gets a distinct identity, even within the tight frame of three episodes.
The documentary also captures the chemistry between the players off the field. There are locker room jokes, shared meals, and quiet conversations that humanize a group of men who have spent their careers together. These moments give the film a warmth that sports documentaries often lack.
The 2021 Tournament
The bulk of the series covers the 2021 Copa América itself. The film shows the quarterfinals, the semifinals, and the final, building toward the climax that broke the drought. The footage is intimate, with cameras following the players through training sessions, team meetings, and post-match interviews.
The tournament is presented as a test of will. Argentina pushes deeper into the knockout stages, and the film builds tension steadily until the final match, where the stakes are made explicit: this is the moment to end the drought, or to let it continue.
The Win That Finally Arrived
The series ends with Argentina winning the trophy. The film presents the win as the natural conclusion to a story that had been building for decades.
For Messi, the victory ends a personal quest. He had come close before, and this time he got it done. The documentary shows the emotion of that moment, capturing the tears and the smiles that followed the final whistle.
The Sound of the Series
The documentary relies heavily on audio, and the sound design is notable. Whispers, laughter, and quiet conversations are recorded clearly, giving the film a sense of intimacy that is rare in sports media.
The music is minimal, which works in favor of the storytelling. The film lets the action breathe, trusting the images and the audio to carry the narrative.
What Works
- The focus on Messi’s personal journey gives the series a clear emotional center.
- The 28-year drought provides a powerful historical context for the tournament.
- The intimate audio recordings add a layer of authenticity to the footage.
- The coverage of the 2021 tournament builds genuine tension.
Where It Falls Short
The series is short, and some viewers may wish for more depth. With only three episodes, there is not enough time to explore every angle of the drought or the tournament. The film also focuses heavily on Messi, which means other players sometimes get less attention than they deserve.
These are minor complaints against a film that gets its main task right. The series knows what it is doing, and it does it well.
Final Word
Be Eternal: Champions of America is a focused, effective documentary that delivers on its promise. It tells a story that has been told many times before, but it tells it with new footage and a fresh perspective. The film respects its subject, and it rewards the viewer’s time.
The 2021 Copa América was a turning point for Argentine football, and this series captures it with grace and precision. It is a worthy addition to Netflix’s documentary catalog, and it stands as one of the best sports films of its year.
8.5 of 10.
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