Cristo Fernandez, the guy we all know as the perpetually optimistic Dani Rojas from “Ted Lasso,” has officially crossed over from fictional striker to real-life professional soccer player. He’s signed with El Paso Locomotive FC in the USL Championship, and talk about a plot twist nobody saw coming for this 35-year-old actor!
From Screen to the Pitch: A Rocky Pro Debut
This isn’t some celebrity exhibition game, folks. Fernandez actually inked his first professional soccer contract back on May 12, after training with El Paso during the USL Championship preseason. The terms of that deal? Undisclosed, of course. His official debut wasn’t even on his home turf; he entered in the 79th minute of a USL Cup game against New Mexico United on July 11. Now, you’d think a big debut would go smoothly, but not for our guy. El Paso ended up losing 2-0 to New Mexico after giving up two late goals, and Fernandez himself got slapped with a yellow card for fouling the opposing goalkeeper, Kris Shakes. Talk about a fiery start! He even skipped their most recent game against FC Tulsa on July 18. This Saturday, July 25, against Sporting Club Jacksonville, could be his first league game on home field at Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas. Unfortunately for any “Ted Lasso” fans hoping to catch him in Jacksonville, he isn’t making the trip to the First Coast.
More Than Just an Actor: The Long Road Back to Soccer
Now, don’t think this is just some fluke. Fernandez has been building towards this comeback for months. He’s far from a newcomer to the game, having played since 2020 as Dani Rojas, but his real-life soccer roots go way deeper. He grew up playing in Mexico’s youth system for the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara club, known as Tecos, before a knee injury as a teenager forced him to switch from sports to acting. So, this isn’t some acting stunt; he’s got genuine chops, even if that first official game ended with a yellow card. This matchup against Sporting Jax has the potential to throw a huge national spotlight on the short history of the Sporting Jax men’s squad, which just played its first league game in March. Oh, and just to show how immersed he is, Fernandez was even at the June 28 round-of-32 World Cup game between Canada and South Africa, handing out the ceremonial coin for the pregame toss. This dude lives and breathes soccer.
So, what’s next? You absolutely have to tune in for what could be his first-ever league game on his home field. El Paso Locomotive FC faces Sporting Jax at 9 p.m. Saturday, July 25, from Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas. If you want to see if Cristo Fernandez actually hits the pitch and if he can avoid another yellow card, you can stream it live via ESPN+. You know I’ll be watching to see if “football is life” for real!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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