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Cristiano Ronaldo to enter scripted television with Thierry Henry in new British football drama led by Damian Lewis

Cristiano Ronaldo to sept into scripted TV as executive producer and actor in Day 1s, a British football drama also featuring Thierry Henry and Damian Lewis.

Updated on: Jul 27, 2026, 08:34:25 IST
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Cristiano Ronaldo is taking another major step beyond the football pitch, with the Portugal great set to executive produce and appear in a new scripted television drama centred on the world of British football.

Cristiano Ronaldo could soon debut as an actor. (X images)
Cristiano Ronaldo could soon debut as an actor. (X images)

The 41-year-old will be involved in Day 1s, a drama following the life of a fictional elite football agent, with former Arsenal and France great Thierry Henry also expected to feature. Homeland and Billions star Damian Lewis will lead the series as agent Stanley Dalton.

According to The Sun, filming has already begun at Barnet FC's The Hive Stadium in north-west London, with Henry pictured at the venue during production. Ronaldo is expected to make an appearance in the series alongside his role behind the camera as an executive producer.

The project represents Ronaldo's first reported acting credit in a scripted production outside advertising campaigns and video games, opening up another avenue for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner while he continues his playing career with Al-Nassr and Portugal.

Ronaldo's television move gathers serious star power

Day 1s is based on a concept created by football agent Darren Dein, who represents Henry and is also serving as one of the project's executive producers. Rather than following actual footballers, the series will revolve around Dalton and the world surrounding a powerful football agent, offering a fictional look inside the business and personalities behind the British game.

Lewis, who has also starred in Band of Brothers, will take the central role, while British rapper Dave and actor Carlotta Banat are among the other names reported to be involved. The production is already attracting attention because of the unusual combination of football and Hollywood figures attached to it. An industry source quoted by The Sun claimed the project could trigger strong competition among streaming platforms, although no broadcaster, streaming service or release date has yet been confirmed.

The series is being produced through UR•Marv, the independent film studio Ronaldo launched with Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn in April 2025.

The partnership had already moved beyond the planning stage when it was announced, with Ronaldo and Vaughn having financed and produced two action films together and a third in development.

"This is an exciting chapter for me, as I look ahead to new ventures in business," Ronaldo said when UR•Marv was launched last year. Vaughn was equally enthusiastic about their partnership, saying Ronaldo had "created stories on the pitch that I could never have written" as the pair outlined plans to create films together.

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Day 1s now significantly expands those ambitions by taking Ronaldo into scripted television. The move comes while Ronaldo remains an active player. He continues to captain Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, with his current contract running until 2027, rather than entering television only after retirement.

The choice of Barnet as one of the filming locations also places the production firmly inside English football surroundings. The Hive is home to Barnet, who will compete in League Two during the 2026-27 season.

Ronaldo has spent years building businesses and a global brand away from football, but Day 1s represents a markedly different venture. Instead of simply lending his image to a project, he will be involved behind the scenes while also stepping in front of the camera. With Ronaldo, Henry, Lewis and Vaughn among the high-profile figures attached and filming already underway, Day 1s is emerging as one of the more ambitious crossovers yet between elite football and scripted television.

  • Probuddha Bhattacharjee
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Probuddha Bhattacharjee

    Probuddha Bhattacharjee is a sports writer and analyst with expertise spanning cricket, football, and multi-sport events, with a strong emphasis on data-driven journalism and tactical storytelling. He currently focuses on international cricket, the Indian Premier League, global tournaments, and emerging trends shaping modern sport, blending advanced statistics with strong narrative context to explain performance, strategy, and decision-making. His work aims to bridge the gap between numbers and storytelling, helping readers understand not just what happened on the field, but the tactical and structural reasons behind it. Trained in data journalism through the Google News Initiative (GNI) Data Journalism Lab, Probuddha works extensively with ball-by-ball datasets, performance metrics, and trend-based modelling to produce evidence-backed reports, explainers, and long-form features. His analytical approach focuses not only on outcomes but also on process—selection strategies, phase-wise tactics, workload management, and the influence of preparation and planning on match results. He is particularly interested in how statistical patterns reshape conventional cricketing narratives and provide clearer tactical insight for modern audiences. Beyond cricket, Probuddha has written analytical and news-driven pieces on football and other major sporting events, with a growing interest in sports governance, scheduling dynamics, and the economics of elite competitions. He also tracks how rule changes, franchise structures, and broadcast pressures influence the evolution of contemporary sport. He has previously contributed to platforms such as OneCricket, Sportskeeda, and CrickTracker, and continues to specialise in analytical storytelling, live coverage, and audience-focused reporting. His work prioritises clarity, context, and credibility, while consistently exploring innovative ways to present data through accessible narratives and structured match analysis.Read More

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