Saipan (2025) on Netflix
Roy Keane, captain of the Republic of Ireland, joins the squad in Saipan to prepare for the 2002 World Cup. He clashes with manager Mick McCarthy over the camp's conditions.
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- Netflix4.0/5
- IMDb6.6/103,560 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes93%
Trailer
Plot summary
Roy Keane learns the game as a boy in a Cork field and becomes a leading player for Manchester United and his country. An injury keeps him out as Mick McCarthy's Ireland qualify for the 2002 World Cup by beating Iran in a playoff. When the squad gathers in Saipan in April 2002, Keane is unhappy with the hotel, the food and the training pitch, and dislikes the drinking and partying among his teammates. On the flight he tells McCarthy his concerns about the team's preparation. A radio phone-in questions McCarthy's coaching because he was born in England, and he responds with a distinction between being from Ireland and being Irish.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Saipan (2025)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Steve Coogan had "a chat" with Mick McCarthy before portraying him, wanting a balanced depiction, and during a phone call McCarthy recalled ringing Roy Keane on the eve of the World Cup, which became a late addition to the script.
- The film dramatizes the real Saipan incident: an altercation between Republic of Ireland national team player Roy Keane and his manager Mick McCarthy ahead of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
