Alongside director Matthew Vaughn, Cristiano Ronaldo is set to produce and to make his debut as an actor alongside legend Thierry Henry.
Cristiano Ronaldo has spent the tail end of his legendary soccer career expanding his business empire far beyond the pitch. Now, the superstar forward is adding Hollywood to his resume, signing on as both an executive producer and actor alongside Thierry Henry in the latest project from blockbuster director Matthew Vaughn.
Titled “Day 1s,” the upcoming drama series features Ronaldo in both a behind-the-scenes executive role and a featured on-screen performance as production gets underway. The storyline explores the cutthroat world of British soccer, pulling back the curtain on the business, power struggles, and high-stakes relationships driving a fictional elite agency.
The series is being produced by UR•Marv, the independent media venture launched jointly by Ronaldo and Vaughn in April 2025. The studio’s brand fuses Ronaldo’s personal “UR” moniker, featured heavily across his media platforms like his UR Cristiano YouTube channel, with Vaughn’s established MARV production banner.
According to a report from The Sun, the show follows the high-flying career of fictional sports agent Stanley Dalton, played by star Damian Lewis. The narrative is built on a concept co-created by real-life soccer agent Darren Dein, who represents Henry and serves as an executive producer on the series.
Director Matthew Vaughn attends the World premiere of “Argylle”.
The Arsenal legend turned television analyst was recently spotted on set in London, filming scenes at Barnet FC’s ground in North West London. British hip-hop star Dave is also slated for a prominent multi-faceted role, leading a starry ensemble of celebrity cameos and guest appearances.
Reflecting on the joint venture when it was first unveiled, Vaughn praised Ronaldo’s flair for the dramatic. “Cristiano has created stories on the pitch that I could never have written, and I look forward to creating inspiring movies with him—he’s a real-life superhero,” the Kingsman director told Variety, with “Day 1s” marking their flagship project.
Soccer legends who made the leap to the screen
While Ronaldo previously starred in his self-titled 2015 documentary Ronaldo and made recurring appearances in his wife Georgina Rodríguez’s Netflix docuseries Soy Georgina, “Day 1s” will mark his scripted acting debut. He joins a select club of iconic soccer figures who have crossed over into traditional acting roles.
The gold standard for soccer icons in cinema remains the 1981 cult classic Escape to Victory, which starred Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine alongside world-class legends Pele, Bobby Moore, and Osvaldo Ardiles, as well as international stars Kazimierz Deyna, Paul Van Himst, Hallvar Thoresen, and Werner Roth.
More recently, Neymar made a cameo as a monk in Netflix’s hit drama Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) and appeared in xXx: Return of Xander Cage. Lionel Messi has landed high-profile promo spots for Hollywood blockbusters like Bad Boys and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, while also making a guest acting appearance on the Argentine comedy series Los Protectores.
Several other soccer stars have famously logged acting credits over the years:
Vinnie Jones: Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking BarrelsEric Cantona: Ken Loach’s Looking for EricDavid Beckham: Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and King Arthur: Legend of the SwordZinedine Zidane: Asterix at the Olympic GamesAlly McCoist: A Shot at Glory