‘Poldi’ (2026) Netflix Review - Looking Beyond Football and Scores

Most of the sports documentaries that you will see, you will find that the same formula has been followed: visiting career highlights, showing from the start what led to the winning moments, and how the player sank that feeling. But this is where Plodi takes a different approach. Instead of presenting a conventional celebration of German football legend Lukas Podolski, the documentary attempts to show us the person he is off the field. This gives us a chance to see beyond the professional capabilities of the footballer.

For fans, Lukas Podolski hardly needs an introduction. A World Cup winner in 2014, a known face at clubs such as Cologne, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, etc, throughout his career, he managed to build his career as a gifted left-footed attacker. And while you cannot take that away from him when telling his story, Poldi makes it clear that the story is not a mere highlight of his career. Throughout the runtime, we are shown the bond he has shared with the city of Cologne. Some scenes celebrate his roots and have shaped him into what he is now. And then the mood shifts into something more personal that Lukas Podolski willingly and candidly discusses: marriage. His wife Monika, who rarely comes into the limelight, speaks openly about the intense attention they received post his return to Cologne. They reveal that there were days they barely spoke to each other, and the temporary separation that followed. These parts of Poldi show that even couples like them go through turbulent periods.

So while these are important aspects of Poldi, if you are a fan of career and wish to watch something of that sort, then Poldi might leave you a bit disappointed. As mentioned, the plot mainly focuses on his life rather than giving a highlight of his career. That being said, this doesn’t mean that football has been omitted completely. Of course, it is there, but not in the grand ways you expect it to be. That can, however, make viewers feel as if some milestones of the German player have been left unexplored, which otherwise should have been. But this is where we must understand that this was the approach the makers sought: to show what Lukas Podolski is in real life, off the field.

This time around, they have followed different ways and approaches. With the help of interviews and archived footage, Poldi comes across as a story that one should watch to understand what and how the personal lives of footballers also suffer due to the fame the players receive. The pacing supports the overall run of the documentary. The plot doesn’t slow down much, nor does it run. The makers ensure that we are given sufficient time to sit and understand what exactly Lukas Podolski is trying to tell us. And perhaps that is the best part of the whole viewing experience. So if you wish to know more about him, Poldi is just the right watch for you.

Final Score- [7/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Ch
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times