UPDATE
May 12, 2026 1:16 PM CDT
The tryout apparently went well. Cristo Fernandez—aka Dani Rojas on Ted Lasso—has signed a contract to play real-life soccer with El Paso Locomotive FC of USL Championship, a Division II professional league, reports USA Today. No terms were announced. Fernandez had been playing on a tryout basis for about two months.
Mar 5, 2026 12:30 PM CST
Dani Rojas' "football is life" mantra just jumped from the TV screen back onto a real soccer field. Cristo Fernandez, the actor behind the exuberant striker on Apple TV's Ted Lasso, is on an informal trial with USL Championship club El Paso Locomotive FC, logging 30 minutes over the weekend in a preseason win over New Mexico, reports the El Paso Times. The New York Post notes that the 35-year-old was seen celebrating with players in a team social media post and has been training with the squad this week. ESPN notes that things like this usually happen in reverse, when pro soccer players turn to acting after hanging up their cleats.
Locomotive will determine next week whether to offer him a deal, per the Times. For now, he has no official status with the club and can't speak to the media, under league rules. Fernandez isn't just play-acting the sport: He played youth soccer in Mexico until an injury pushed him toward acting. Fernandez also recently turned out for Chicago Fire II, where MIR97 Media says he scored in a friendly. It's also not yet known if he'll be back as Dani Rojas in the upcoming fourth season of Ted Lasso, though big names including Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham are set to return.
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