How to watch The Phenomenon: Ronaldo documentary in the UK as fans await release of film about football icon

Ben Miller

How to watch The Phenomenon: Ronaldo documentary in the UK as fans await release of film about football icon image

Brazil legend Ronaldo was in attendance when a new film about his life and career premiered in Madrid on October 14 2022.

The striker took the world by storm during his playing days and is still a popular and enigmatic figure years later, remaining prominent partly through his ownership of Spanish top-flight side Real Valladolid.

Ronaldo's legion of admirers in the UK are now keen to see the film, which has a full title of The Rise, Fall & Redemption of Ronaldo.

Here's what we know about when the feature will be available to viewers.

MORE: Neymar court case: Prosecutors drop fraud charges against PSG, Brazil star and others over 2013 Barcelona transfer

When is the UK release of The Phenomenon: Ronaldo?

The documentary will be available to watch in the UK on Tuesday, November 15, 2022.

Writer and director Duncan McMath said the film had taken 18 months of production and used more than 300 hours of archive material from 80 different providers, as well as around 2,500 photos and 28 hours of interviews.

How to watch The Phenomenon: Ronaldo

In the UK, the documentary will be broadcast on BBC4 on November 15 at 21:30 GMT.

The film is also available to watch on DAZN. A subscription costs £7.99 a month in the UK.

The Phenomenon follows on from DAZN show El Presidente, which took viewers inside Ronaldo's time as president of Real Valladolid from 2018, pumping millions into the Liga club.

It is also the first of three World Cup commissions by DAZN, which will release Green Lions - a story about Cameroon's impressive 1990 World Cup side - and Maradona 94: The Fall, covering the Argentina icon's controversial campaign.

What is The Phenomenon: Ronaldo?

One of the preview clips of the film shows fellow Brazil legend Roberto Carlos likening Ronaldo at his peak to a pop star and looking back on the immense early success that made him synonymous with brands such as Nike.

There are goals from his early years in Brazil, his time at PSV after being part of his country's World Cup-winning squad in 1994 and his explosively brilliant exploits after joining Barcelona for a then-record £17.4 million ($19.5m).

Perhaps the most memorable storyline for many fans at the time is the immediate build-up to the 1998 World Cup final, when Ronaldo was reported to have suffered a convulsive fit in the team hotel hours before the showpiece.

Today’s my birthday and to celebrate, I’d like to announce The Phenomenon - a DAZN Original telling the true story of my career - will be released next month

Here’s a little teaser featuring some friends remembering when I was the best player in the world 😉 pic.twitter.com/7MQUyFADaf

— Ronaldo Nazário (@Ronaldo) September 22, 2022

Ronaldo was named player of the tournament but was anonymous by his standards in the final as Brazil were deposed 3-0 by hosts France.

Roberto Carlos had been Ronaldo's roommate and the pair discuss the incident in the film. The pressures Ronaldo faced as a young man with masses of fans awaiting him wherever he went are also reflected upon.

"I still have airport trauma today," Ronaldo says at one point alongside footage of a frenzy as he tries to make his way out of a screaming, crammed crowd. "And it's probably because of those trips."

Legendary defender Paolo Maldini says he considers Ronaldo, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi among the greatest players of all time, but Ronaldo's career would suffer a cruel blow early in the 1999-2000 season with Inter Milan, where he had been in consistently sensational form since joining the club in 1997.

The Phenomenon himself, @Ronaldo 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/d5deCplLZB

— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) October 14, 2022

A knee injury sustained by Ronaldo was so bad that it left physios reeling. After two operations and the best part of three seasons out, Ronaldo returned to win the World Cup and a second Ballon d'Or in 2002, but injuries, fitness and weight issues would lead to a swift decline in his career after early success following his move to Madrid.

Ben Miller

Ben Miller Photo

Ben Miller has been writing about sport for 25 years, following all levels of football as well as boxing, MMA, athletics and tennis. He’s seen five promotions, three relegations, one World Cup winner and home games in at least three different stadiums as a result of his lifelong devotion to Brighton & Hove Albion. His main aim each week is to cover at least one game or event that does not require a last-minute rewrite.