Another League

Another League
Theatrical release poster
SpanishPioneras: solo querían jugar
Directed byMarta Díaz de Lope Díaz
Written by
  • Zebina Guerra
  • Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz
Produced by
  • Jesús Ulled Nadal
  • Rodrigo Areias
  • Kiko Martínez
  • Francisco Sánchez Ortiz
Starring
CinematographyMaria Codina
Edited byAlberto Gutiérrez
Music byPedro Marques
Production
companies
  • Pioneras la Película AIE
  • Cine365 Films
  • Nadie es Perfecto
  • Ciudadano Ciskul
  • Bando A Parte
Distributed byFilmax
Release dates
  • 8 March 2026 (2026-03-08) (Málaga)
  • 5 June 2026 (2026-06-05) (Spain)
Running time
106 minutes
Countries
  • Spain
  • Portugal
LanguageSpanish

Another League[1] (Spanish: Pioneras: solo querían jugar, lit. 'pioneers: they just wanted to play') is a 2026 sports drama film directed by Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz. It stars Daniel Ibáñez, Sofía de Iznájar, Bruna Lucadamo, Aixa Villagrán, and Elena Irureta. It is a Spanish-Portuguese co-production.

The film premiered at the 29th Málaga Film Festival in March 2026 ahead of its 5 June 2026 theatrical release in Spain by Filmax.

Plot

Starting in 1970, the plot follows a group of girls and a young coach as the girls break down barriers in a deeply sexist society and take the baby steps of women's football in Spain.[2][3]

Cast

Production

An homage to the pioneers of women's football in Spain and to Rafael Muga,[4] Another League was written by Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz and Zebina Guerra.[9][2] The film is a Spanish-Portuguese co-production by Pioneras la Película AIE, Cine365 Films, Nadie es Perfecto, Ciudadano Ciskul, and Bando A Parte, with financial backing from RTVE, Movistar Plus+, ICAA and CreaSGR.[10] The documentation phase was carried out with the involvement of Victoria Hernández, Isabel Fuentes, Conchi Sánchez, and Rafael Muga.[11] Maria Codina worked as director of photography, using Alexa 35 cameras and Tribe anamorphic Blackwing lenses.[2] In April 2025, Pioneras was reported to have wrapped in Madrid after six weeks and a half of filming.[10][3] In addition to the streets of Villaverde, shooting locations also included Tenerife and Guadalajara.[10][11]

Release

The film was presented in the official selection of the 29th Málaga Film Festival on 8 March 2026.[12][13][14] For its international premiere,[15] it made it to the Ibero-American slate of the 41st Guadalajara International Film Festival as well as in the lineup of films qualifying for the Maguey Award dedicated to works tackling sexual diversity and the LGBTQ+ community.[16][17] Filmax handles the Spanish theatrical distribution. The theatrical release is expected for 5 June 2026.[14][18]

Reception

Juan Pando of Fotogramas rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, pointing out that it tackles thorny issues with a sensitivity reminiscent of British social-issue films such as Full Monty, Brassed Off, or Pride.[19]

Javier Ocaña of El País considered the film "a beautiful blend of social drama, biting comedy, and luminous melodrama".[20]

Manuel J. Lombardo of Diario de Sevilla gave the film a 2-star rating, assessing that the story is drawn straight "from the handbook of feminist and libertarian best practices, [fit] for times that demand little complexity and even less depth".[21]

See also

Informational notes

  1. ↑ Inspired on the real-life Rafael Muga.[7]
  2. ↑ Directly inspired on the real-life journalist Mari Carmen Izquierdo, aka 'Maratón'.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Meza, Ed (8 March 2026). "Málaga Competition Title 'Another League' Recounts Triumph of Women's Soccer in Franco's Dictatorship-Oppressed Spain". Variety.
  2. 1 2 3 "Arranca el rodaje de 'Pioneras: solo querían jugar', una película de Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz". Camera and Light Mag. 6 March 2025.
  3. 1 2 Arias, Mariajo (23 April 2025). "La épica del barro, el fútbol y "el camino de las mujeres para conquistar espacios" en el rodaje de 'Pioneras. Solo querían jugar'". Kinótico.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Griñán, Marta (31 December 2025). "Unas Pioneras de cine". As.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Pioneras: Solo querían jugar". Filmax. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  6. 1 2 ""Pioneras: Solo querían jugar", una película que viaja al fútbol femenino de los años 70". Infobae. 14 April 2025.
  7. ↑ Cárceles, Fran (12 June 2026). ""Pioneras. Solo querían jugar", un filme sobre las primeras futbolistas que se enfrentaron a un país de hombres". La Razón.
  8. ↑ Jiménez, Jesús (9 June 2026). "'Pioneras. Solo querían jugar', la lucha y rebeldía de las primeras futbolistas españolas llega a los cines". rtve.es.
  9. ↑ Rivera, Alfonso (12 March 2025). "Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz directing Pioneras: Solo querían jugar". Cineuropa.
  10. 1 2 3 "'Pioneras', de Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz, termina su rodaje: «Esta historia lo tiene todo»". Audiovisual451. 21 April 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Nuevas imágenes de 'Pioneras: solo querían jugar', la historia de la primera selección femenina de fútbol en España". CineconÑ. 29 October 2025.
  12. ↑ Romero, José M.; Blanes, Pepa (8 March 2026). "'Pioneras', la película que retrata la lucha de las primeras mujeres futbolistas en España". Cadena SER.
  13. ↑ "Doce películas españolas y diez iberoamericanas competirán en el 29 Festival de Málaga". rtve.es. 11 February 2026.
  14. 1 2 "'Sucia', 'Pioneras' y otras películas sobre mujeres del Festival de Málaga en el 8M". Infobae. 8 March 2026.
  15. ↑ "Pioneras". Guadalajara International Film Festival. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "El Premio Maguey anuncia su selección para la edición 41 del FICG". El Informador. 2 March 2026.
  17. ↑ León, Karla (30 March 2026). "Conoce la programación del Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara 2026". The Hollywood Reporter.
  18. ↑ "Pioneras. Solo querían jugar". Filmax. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  19. ↑ Pando, Juan (9 June 2026). ""Cine pequeño que se hace grande": La conmovedora película sobre las mujeres que cambiaron la historia del fútbol femenino en la España de los años 70". Fotogramas (in European Spanish). Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  20. ↑ Ocaña, Javier (12 June 2026). "'Pioneras': bonito gol por la escuadra del cine popular más emocionante". El País (in European Spanish). Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  21. ↑ Lombardo, Manuel J. (12 June 2026). "Mari Trini Fútbol Club". Diario de Sevilla (in European Spanish). Grupo Joly. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
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