From the pitch to your TV screen: Netflix to release documentary 'Rafa Márquez: El Capitán'

SEATTLE - After a fantastic playing career, streaming company Netflix will turn the life of longtime Mexican soccer played Rafael Márquez into a documentary that will air on June 6.

Titled "Rafa Márquez: El Capitán," the documentary is set to cover some of the most important chapters in Márquez' life including his upbringing in Zamora, Michoacan, as well as his time with the Mexican national team and Spanish team Barcelona.

In the documentary, the former captain of "El Tri" will reconstruct his career for the very first time, including testimonies from former teammates such as Xavi Hernández, Ronaldinho and Jared Borgetti, as well as testimonies from his family and journalists.

"Rafa Márquez: El Capitán" will revisit the player's childhood as well as the good, the bad and the ugly during his life on and off the pitch.

Just like Márquez had huge success in his two-decade career, Mexico's legendary captain also had low moments, including the years he spent on the United States' Treasury Department blacklist as he allegedly had ties with individuals involved in money laundering and drug cartels. He was cleared in September of 2021 and was removed from the list.

Despite his problems with the Treasury Department, Márquez was allowed to participate at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Coming off the bench in Mexico's iconic 1-0 win over Germany, Márquez became the third player in history to play at five different World Cups.

After retiring from professional soccer in 2018, Márquez focused on pursuing a career in management. The 45-year-old has been the head coach of Barcelona's reserves team since 2022 and has managed more than 70 games with the club. Before his current job with Barcelona, "Rafa" held the position of sporting director at Liga MX team Atlas, the club that gave him his professional debut as a 17-year-old in 1996.

The documentary around one of Mexico's most important soccer players ever is another example of Netflix's ambitions to venture into the world of sports.

On top of their already deep selection of sports documentaries and movies, it was announced on May 15 that the streaming company had reached a deal with the National Football League to stream two NFL games on Christmas Day as part of an exclusive tree-season deal.

Netflix did not disclose financial terms of the deal but Bloomberg News, which first reported on the negotiations, said the streaming company will pay less than $150 million per game. In January, Netflix agreed to a more than $5 billion deal to be the exclusive home of World Wrestling Entertainment's RAW.