Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona (born 24 May 1966) is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in five years and two League and FA Cup Doubles. Cantona is often regarded as having played a key role in the revival of Manchester United as a footballing force and he enjoys iconic status at the club. He wore the number 7 shirt at United, which was previously worn by George Best and Bryan Robson, and subsequently worn by David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo. Cantona is affectionately nicknamed by Manchester United fans "King Eric", and was voted as Manchester United's greatest ever player by Inside United magazine. Set against his footballing achievements was a poor disciplinary record throughout his career, including a conviction for assault on a fan in 1995. Following his retirement from football, he took up a career in cinema and had a role in the 1998 film Elizabeth, starring Cate Blanchett, and the 2009 film Looking for Eric. In 2010, he debuted as a stage actor in Face au paradis, a French play directed by his wife, Rachida Brakni. On 19 January 2011, Cantona joined the revived New York Cosmos as Director of Soccer.

Filmography

• Alter Ego — Joseph Batista
• 2026La Nirvana
• 2026Marvelous Mornings — Titou
• 2026The Sentinel
• Brigade anonyme — Julien Castaneda
• Murder Club — Daniel Hansen
• 2024The Killer — Gobert
• 2023AKA — Victor Pastore
• 2023Magic 7 — Eric
• 2023Manchester United : début de règne
• 2022Guy Roux, une histoire de France
• 2022The Fragile Colossus — Sébastien
• 2021The United Way — Self, Writers' Production, Executive Producer
• Inhuman Resources — Alain Delambre
• The Traveller — Thomas Bareski
• 2018Ulysse & Mona — Ulysse
• 2017Anka — Brazilian
• 2016Marie and the Misfits — Antoine
• 2015Looking for Alger — Self, Producer
• 2015The Mad Kings — Jacky
• 2014Football And Immigration, 100 Years Of Common History — Self, Director, Writer
• 2014Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui
• 2014The Salvation — Corsican
• 2013Délit de fuite — Paul
• Looking for
• 2013You and the Night — The Stallion
• 2012Football Rebels — Self, Co-Producer
• 2012Hip Moves — Michel
• 2012Looking for Barcelona — Self, Executive Producer
• 2012Looking for Istanbul — Self - Host, Producer
• 2012Porn in the Hood — L'entraineur de foot
• 2011Force — Manuel Makarov
• 2011Switch — Damien Forgeat
• 2010Together Is Too Much — Gérard
• 2009Death List — Michaël Lombardi
• 2009Looking for Eric — Éric Cantona, Executive Producer
• 2008Black Butterfly — Jack
• 2008French Film — Thierry Grimandi
• 2008Jack Says — Man At Bar
• 2007The Second Wind — Alban
• 2006Lisa et le pilote d'avion — Fando, Producer
• 2005La vie est à nous ! — Pierre "L'oiseau bleu"
• 2005Les Enfoirés, 15 ans d'Enfoirés
• 2003The Car Keys — Actor Refusing to Film with Laurent
• 2003The Overeater — Le commissaire Séléna
• 2001Blue Steel: The Hard Men of Ibrox
• The Apartment
• 2001The High Life — Joueur de pétanque 2
• 1999Rangers FC: Battle of Britain - Rule Britannia
• 1999The Children of the Marshland — Joseph "Jo" Sardi
• 1998Big Ron Bites Back
• 1998Elizabeth — Monsieur de Foix
• 1998Les Enfoirés 1998 - Enfoirés en cœur
• 1998Mookie — Antoine Capella
• 1995Happiness Is in the Field — Lionel
• 1993Glasgow Rangers 5 in A Row
• Eric Cantona: Tout Va Bien
• Judgement — Ted Moreau

Appearances as themselves (44)

• Cannorama — Self - Guest
• 2026Cantona — Self
• Schmeichel — self
• 2025Together for Palestine — Self
• 2025Vos 40 chansons préférées des Enfoirés — Self (archive footage)
• Beckham — Self
• 2023L'Âge d'or de la pub — Self (archive footage)
• 2023Sir Bobby Charlton: The First Gentleman Of Football — Himself
• 2022Liam Gallagher: 48 Hours at Rockfield — Self (archive footage)
• Fever Pitch: The Rise of the Premier League — Self
• 2021Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story — Self
• 2021Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In — Self
• Sykora Gisler – Der Fussball-Talk — Self
• 2019Busby — Self
• 2018Soprano : le documentaire événement — Self
• 2018The Modern Game — Self
• Michael McIntyre's Big Show — Self - Music
• 2016The Blues: Another Story of France — Self
• 2016When Football Changed Forever - The Story of the 1991/1992 Football Division One Season — Self
• 2014Looking for Rio — Self - Host
• Un soir à la tour Eiffel — Self
• Clique — Self - Guest
• 2013Looking for Athènes — Self - Host
• 2013The Class of ‘92 — Self
• 2013The Stone Roses: Made of Stone — Self (uncredited)
• 2012Looking for Buenos Aires — Self - Host
• 2011Looking for Milano — Self - Host
• 2010Eric Cantona: Looking For Manchester — Self
• 2010Looking for Manchester — Self
• C à vous — Self - Guest
• 2008Manchester United: The Official History 1878-2008 — Self
• 2004De Caunes-Garcia - Le meilleur de nulle part ailleurs — Self (archive footage)
• 2002Manchester United: The Official History 1878-2002 — Self (Forward 1992-97)
• The Football Years — Self
• 1999Andy Goram: The Goalie — Self (archive footage)
• 1999Manchester United F.C. - Greatest Games Vol 2 — Himself
• 1998The Alex Ferguson Story — Self
• 1997Manchester United Season Review 1996-1997 - Champions Again! — Self (archive footage)
• 1996Cantona's Cup - 'Its Just a Game Not a War' — Himself
• 1994Eric the King — Self
• 1993Ooh Aah - The Eric Cantona Phenomenom — Himself
• 1992När bollen var rund — Self
• Sacrée soirée — Self
• Champs-Elysées — Self