Ted Lasso star Cristo Fernandez makes professional football debut for El Paso Locomotive

Cristo Fernandez, the actor best known for playing Dani Rojas in Ted Lasso, has swapped the fictional pitches of AFC Richmond for a real one, making his professional football debut for American second-tier club El Paso Locomotive at the weekend.

The 35-year-old Mexican came on as a 79th-minute substitute for Locomotive in their USL Cup group fixture against rivals New Mexico United. He was shown a yellow card in the closing minutes for a foul on the visitors’ goalkeeper as Locomotive slipped to a 2-0 defeat.

Fernandez signed for the El Paso, Texas-based club in May after an extended trial period. Reports differ slightly on the finer detail of his route into the squad, but it is understood his return to the professional game began with a look-in at a Major League Soccer reserve outfit before a tryout with Locomotive led to his contract.

From Guadalajara prospect to Apple TV star

Long before he became a household name for playing the eternally sunny Dani Rojas, Fernandez was a promising youth footballer in his home city of Guadalajara, coming through the ranks with a Liga MX academy side. A serious knee injury in his mid-teens forced him to step away from the sport, redirecting him towards acting after he later moved to London.

That switch paid off spectacularly. Fernandez appeared in all three series of Ted Lasso between 2020 and 2023, playing a naive but talented AFC Richmond forward whose catchphrase — “football is life” — became one of the show’s signature lines. The role turned him into one of the most recognisable faces of the award-winning comedy.

‘Believing in yourself’

Speaking after putting pen to paper with Locomotive, Fernandez reflected on the unlikely journey that has taken him back to the sport he once thought he had left behind for good.

“This journey back to professional soccer is about believing in yourself, taking risks, and continuing to chase your dreams no matter how unexpected the path may be,” he said.

Fernandez had just three touches of the ball in his brief cameo but will hope for further opportunities as Locomotive continue their USL Cup campaign. His story adds an unusual footnote to a competition more used to attracting attention for its playing standard than its dressing room celebrities.

The timing is unlikely to be coincidental for fans of the show. A fourth series of Ted Lasso is due to begin on Apple TV on 5 August, meaning Fernandez’s real-life comeback arrives just weeks before Dani Rojas returns to screens.

Sources

• BBC Sport
• The Independent

This is an independent report written from the facts across the sources named above.