Cristiano Ronaldo joins Matthew Vaughn on new football drama series Day 1s

Cristiano Ronaldo has begun production on his first television series, marking a new venture away from football alongside British director and producer Matthew Vaughn.

The Al-Nassr captain announced the project on Instagram, posting a photograph with Vaughn and writing: “Great news, production has just started on my first TV series, Day 1s. More to come soon.”

Ronaldo is producing the series with Vaughn, according to entertainment industry website Deadline.

The drama will remain closely connected to football and centres on Stanley Dalton, a British football agent played by Damian Lewis.

Reports say Ronaldo will also appear in the programme, alongside former Arsenal and Barcelona forward Thierry Henry. The well-known rapper Dave may feature in the opening episode.

Filming has already taken place in London over the past few months, although no final broadcast date has been announced.

The project comes shortly after Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football following 23 years with Portugal. He made his senior debut for the national team in 2003 and ended his international career with 234 appearances and 146 goals.

Ronaldo won three trophies with Portugal, including Euro 2016 and two UEFA Nations League titles.

His decision to leave international football followed a dispute that dominated the latest international break and raised questions about his relationship with Portugal manager Jorge Jesus.

Tensions increased after Ronaldo left Portugal’s training camp in Denmark without permission. He had already completed a 30-day suspension and paid a fine of 255 euros as punishment for his departure.

The forward had previously said he was prepared to accept any sanction resulting from his actions, and the suspension and fine were imposed. However, the disagreement extended beyond the disciplinary measures.

Ronaldo reportedly felt betrayed by explanatory comments made by Jesus, believing they breached an explicit agreement reached during an earlier meeting. He responded with a strongly worded message setting out his position.

The strained relationship led to uncertainty over whether Ronaldo would be included in Portugal’s next squad for matches against Denmark on 14 November and Wales on 17 November, the final two group-stage fixtures in the UEFA Nations League.

Although Ronaldo was named in Portugal’s preliminary squad for those matches, his retirement brought an end to speculation about a return. The number seven will not represent his country again for the remainder of his playing career.

Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proenca attempted to mediate and restore Ronaldo to the national team, but those efforts failed to resolve the dispute.