Cristo Fernandez Makes Pro Football Debut at 35 as El Paso Locomotive Lose 2-0

Q: Will Cristo Fernandez's real-life soccer career be written into the new 'Ted Lasso' season?

It is highly unlikely. Nothing in the available reporting suggests that Cristo Fernandez’s real-life move into professional soccer with El Paso Locomotive will be written into *Ted Lasso* season 4. The new season, due August 5, is reported to center on Ted coaching a second-division women’s team, a major shift away from the men’s AFC Richmond setup where Fernandez’s Dani Rojas became a fan favorite. That matters because Fernandez is not widely reported as a returning series regular for the new season, and coverage around the cast has indicated Dani Rojas is unlikely to have a major role. Some reports leave open the possibility of a cameo, but there is no evidence that the writers have built a storyline around his real-life USL career. Fernandez’s own circumstances also point away from that idea. He joined El Paso after a trial, made his professional debut on July 7, and has described the move as a serious attempt to fulfill a lifelong football ambition after a knee injury ended his youth playing career. Reporting has also noted that soccer is now his priority, with little time for acting during the season. So while his debut is a striking real-life echo of Dani Rojas’s “football is life” persona, there is no indication at this stage that *Ted Lasso* will incorporate it into the new season’s plot.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 13

Cristo Fernandez entered in the 79th minute on Sunday, making his professional debut for USL side El Paso Locomotive after signing in May following a two-month trial.
The 35-year-old Mexican actor — known as Dani Rojas in Ted Lasso — had three touches and drew a yellow card in the 87th minute for a foul on New Mexico United goalkeeper Kris Shakes.
Fernandez left youth football in Guadalajara at 15 because of a knee injury, making the appearance a return to a long-abandoned playing ambition.
The debut came weeks before Ted Lasso returns for a fourth series on Apple TV on 5 August.