One and only - Ronaldinho!
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 20.04.26. | 16:02
Netflix has begun airing a three-part documentary about one of the greatest magicians in football history
He was not as long-lasting, nor does he have as many trophies and goals as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. He did not have the outlaw persona of Zlatan Ibrahimović, nor did he mock imperial powers like Diego Armando Maradona. But his most creative years - those at Barcelona under Frank Rijkaard, and later at Milan - still represent a benchmark for the purest, or if we may put it that way, the most masterful kind of football. Reading these lines, you have surely realised that this is about Ronaldinho.
It could be said that there is no better figure for the creatives and directors at Netflix to build a documentary about the life, work, rise, and fall of the former Brazilian superstar.
The streaming service has now begun airing the aforementioned three-part documentary on Ronaldinho, with strong expectations that the series could break records - potentially generating even more hype than the one featuring Michael Jordan.
Netflix released the first episode on April 16 and, it seems, struck at the core of Ronaldinho's personality. The focus is not only on trophies and goals, because a player of his kind cannot be defined solely by statistics. Ronaldinho is portrayed as a symbol of joyful, free, and effortless football. Of course, the documentary follows his journey from the dusty streets of his hometown, Porto Alegre, to global stardom. Exclusive testimonies about his development as a player are provided by figures such as Lionel Messi, Neymar, Roberto Carlos, and Carles Puyol.
The first episode focuses on his childhood and the rules of the favela that shaped his style. The second episode is essentially the story of his rise to global fame after the 2002 World Cup and his peak at Barcelona, with the note that his lifestyle did not suit everyone. The third moves toward his return to Brazil, the final major goal of his career, and his connection to his roots, along with "unseen support in difficult times".
Netflix also dedicates part of the documentary to Ronaldinho's major personal struggles: the loss of his father, witnessing the birth of his son without being present, and his arrest in Paraguay in 2020. There is a great deal of emotion, extensive archival footage, and very intimate details from the life of the football genius.
It is worth watching… and remembering that in 2018 he came to Belgrade and filmed a commercial for Mozzart.