Brazil football legend Ronaldo will star in his own reality TV show in a bid to lose weight, Daily Mail said.

The portly 36-year-old striker wants to ditch the extra pounds gained since quitting the sport so he is fit for an annual charity match, hosted alongside his ex-Real Madrid team-mate Zinedine Zidane, later this year.

And for extra motivation, he will do so under the glare of millions as he appears in a regular segment on the popular Fantástico entertainment programme on the Globo channel.

Ronaldo Nazario da Lima, to give his full name, said: 'I have a game against Zidane's friends in Porto Alegre in December and I want to be ready for it. That's the big challenge.'

Viewers will see the party-loving Rio de Janeiro native following a strict exercise regime and a diet created by a nutritionist.

Ronaldo's exact weight is not known, but the former Inter Milan and Barcelona goal-scorers' ballooning stomach has been the subject of ridicule across the world for several years.

In the 90s and early 2000s he was the star of his national side, winning two World Cups. Domestically, he won every title in Spain, but failed to lift the Champions League title.

A series of knee injuries deprived him of an even more successful career, leaving him on the treatment table for lengthy periods at a time.

He then started suffering from thyroid problems, which led to him piling on the pounds. He retired from football last February.

The match will raise money and awareness about poverty that affects millions across the world, reports Brazilian media.