{{Short description|Animated street football series}} {{Expand French|topic=cult|Foot 2 rue|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox television | image = | image_alt = | caption = | alt_name = Foot 2 Rue (France), La Compagnia dei Celestini (Italy) | genre = Animation, sports, children | creator = Marco Beretta, Serge Rosenzweig | inspired_by = ''{{Ill|La Compagnia dei Celestini|it||uk|Компанія «Целестин»}}'' by Stefano Benni | composer = Akhenaton | country = France, Italy | num_seasons = 5 | num_episodes = 130 | network = France 3 | first_aired = {{Start date|2005|12|31|df=y}} | last_aired = {{End date|2022|02|04|df=y}} }} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
'''''Foot 2 Rue''''' (also known as '''''Street Football''''') is a French–Italian animated television series created by Marco Beretta and Serge Rosenzweig. It originally aired between December 31, 2005, and July 10, 2010, on France 3. The show follows a diverse group of five children who form a street football team and find camaraderie through the game.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2005-12-30 |title=Foot 2 rue |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/vous/article/2005/12/30/foot-2-rue_725947_3238.html |access-date=2025-03-28 |work=Le Monde |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Foot 2 rue |url=https://catalogue.ina.fr/doc/TV-RADIO/TV_4232956.001/bleus-pout-toujours?rang=1 |website=Inathèque}}</ref>
In July 2019, a fourth season was announced, developed by Zodiak Kids and Monello Productions. It retained the original visual style and premiered in February 2022.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web | first=Ana | last=Gressier | date=2024-12-10 |title=Foot 2 Rue, retour sur petit écran! | website=Caviar Magazine |url=https://www.caviarmagazine.fr/foot2rueretoursurpetitecran/ |access-date=2025-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241210155223/https://www.caviarmagazine.fr/foot2rueretoursurpetitecran/ |archive-date=10 December 2024 |language=fr}}</ref>
== Synopsis == Abandoned by their parents, five diverse children come together through their shared love of street football, using the game to overcome loneliness and build community. Led by Tag, they dream of competing in the first-ever Street Football World Cup together.
== Production and broadcast == In a 2023 podcast produced by ''20 Minutes'', co-creator Giorgio Welter reflected on the intent behind ''Foot 2 Rue'', describing it as one of the first inclusive animated series, meant to represent the lives of children from working-class backgrounds who play football in the streets.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-21 |title='Foot 2 Rue', un dessin animé inclusif pour raconter la vie de jeunes passionnés de foot |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/podcast/4049157-20230821-foot-2-rue-dessin-anime-inclusif-raconter-vie-jeunes-passionnes-foot |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=20 Minutes |language=fr}}</ref> The concept for the series was inspired by the Italian novel ''{{Ill|La Compagnia dei Celestini|it||uk|Компанія «Целестин»}}'' by Stefano Benni, which follows a group of children escaping an orphanage to join a rebellious street football tournament.<ref name="L'inspirateur">{{Cite news |last=Soulié |first=Elodie | date=15 May 2006 |title=L'inspirateur de Foot 2 rue encourage les joueurs |url=https://www.leparisien.fr/seine-saint-denis-93/l-inspirateur-de-foot-2-rue-encourage-les-joueurs-15-05-2006-2006985155.php |access-date=2025-03-28 | newspaper=Le Parisien |language=fr-FR}}</ref> The story was adapted into the animated series, which aired in Italy under the title ''La Compagnia dei Celestini'' on Rai 2 beginning on November 24, 2005. The Italian version consisted of 26 episodes, each 26 minutes long, and was broadcast daily as part of the children's program ''Random''. It was co-produced by De Mas & Partners, Télé Images, Rai Fiction, and France 3, with animation completed in Milan and Paris.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://cinecittanews.it/11-00-la-compagnia-dei-celestini-su-rai2/ |title=11:00 – 'La compagnia dei Celestini' su Rai2 |first=Chiara |last=Nano |date=24 November 2005 |website=Cinecittà News | language=it}}</ref>
Under the title ''Foot 2 Rue'' in France and ''Street Football'' in English-speaking regions, the show gained international distribution. The fourth season revival, ''Foot 2 Rue – Le Retour'', was broadcast again on France Télévisions. It was co-produced by Zodiak Kids and Monello Productions and scheduled for release at the end of 2021.<ref name=":1" />
==Video games== An official video game, ''Street Football'', was released for the Nintendo DS in 2008. It was covered by gaming outlets such as ''Pocket Gamer'', which noted the game's appeal to fans of the show and its pick-up-and-play accessibility.<ref>{{Cite web| first=Scott | last=Anthony | url=https://www.pocketgamer.com/street-football/street-football/|title=Street Football|date=27 May 2008|website=Pocket Gamer}}</ref> Additionally, an online browser-based football game tied to the series was made available in 2010 and noted for its interactive appeal for children.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.la-croix.com/Culture/Nouvelles-technologies/Foot-de-rue-sur-Internet-_NG_-2010-07-12-554186|title=Foot de rue sur Internet|date=12 July 2010|website=La Croix | language=fr}}</ref>
== Reception == A 2006 article in ''Le Parisien'' described the series as ''la nouvelle série culte de milliers d'enfants'' ("the cult series for thousands of children") and ''un phénomène de mode dans les cours de récré'' ("a phenomenon in schoolyards"), indicating its strong resonance with young audiences at the time.<ref name="L'inspirateur" />
==References== <!-- Inline citations added to your article will automatically display here. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:REFB for instructions on how to add citations. --> {{reflist}}
Category:French children's animated television series Category:Italian animated television series Category:2005 French television series debuts Category:Association football television series Category:Animated television series about children