Cristo Fernandez soccer career, explained: Why Dani Rojas from ‘Ted Lasso’ is trying out for USL
While AFC Richmond on “Ted Lasso” is not a real team, the show may be able to boast that one of its stars is a professional player.
Cristo Fernandez, who plays Dani Rojas on the Apple TV show, appeared for 30 minutes in a preseason friendly for USL Championship team El Paso Locomotive on Saturday, a club source confirmed.
Fernandez is currently on trial with the team, and the team is expected to make a decision on a professional contract this week.
Here is everything you need to know about Fernandez’s potential tenure as a professional soccer player, something he has been chasing since he was young.
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Cristo Fernandez USL soccer tryout
Fernandez may be on the verge of signing a professional contract with El Paso Locomotive. The Ted Lasso star played 30 minutes in a friendly against New Mexico United on Saturday.
The 35-year-old was pictured training with the El Paso squad over the weekend.
It is unclear how this would affect his role as Dani Rojas in “Ted Lasso” if Fernandez were to be signed.
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Cristo Fernandez soccer career
Fernandez was an avid soccer player growing up. He was part of the Tecos FC academy, a former first division Mexican team (currently in Liga Premier, the Mexican third division), until he was 15, according to ESPN.
Fernandez also played in Puerto Rico’s First Division at Guayama FC, according to the LA Times, where the team was close to qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions League.
Due to two significant knee injuries, Fernandez put his soccer career on pause and moved towards an academic life.
The former academy player attended Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (UNIVA) and holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications. After this, he received his master’s in acting from the Guildford School of Acting at the University of Surrey in England.
Cristo Fernandez acting career
After graduating from the Guildford School of Acting, Fernandez began his acting career.
While he is most known for starring as Dani Rojas in “Ted Lasso,” he has also starred in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” as a bartender, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” voicing Wheeljack, and “Las Tres Sisters” as Kin. Fernandez has also produced 37 screenplays, according to IMDB.
Fernandez was part of the “Ted Lasso” group that won a 2022 award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. He has also been nominated for Best Supporting Actor – Television (Comedy) for the 2021 Imagen Awards, Best Actor in a Minor Role by the 2025 Mexican Cinema Journalists, and a 2023 nomination at the Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA) for Best Song – Onscreen Performance.
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Who does Cristo Fernandez play in ‘Ted Lasso’?
On the hit Apple TV show “Ted Lasso,” Fernandez plays AFC Richmond center forward Dani Rojas.
The actor is most known for his quote, “Football is life,” which has resonated with soccer fans around the world.
Fernandez has appeared in all three seasons of the show. Season 4 of “Ted Lasso” is expected to be released this summer, as production for the upcoming season has been underway in London.
Fernandez has not been confirmed to return for the new season, but the actor has expressed his interest in an interview with Screen Rant, saying he would even return “for free.”
How old is Cristo Fernandez?
Fernandez is 35 years old (January 27, 1991), meaning he may be past his athletic prime.
However, if he were to be signed to El Paso Locomotive, fans of the “Ted Lasso” show would feel drawn to tune into the USL side’s future matches.
Fernandez would be the oldest player on the current El Paso roster, with 33-year-old defender Arturo Ortiz as the second-oldest player.
