‘Ted Lasso’ star Cristo Fernández makes professional soccer debut at age 35

Actor Cristo Fernández, best known for playing Dani Rojas in Ted Lasso on Apple TV, has made a bit of a career shift. Fernández just made his professional soccer debut with USL Championship club El Paso Locomotive.

Fernández was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and grew up playing soccer. He played lower-level soccer in Mexico and Puerto Rico before knee injuries led him to switch to acting.

That decision ultimately led to his breakthrough role as Dani Rojas in Ted Lasso, where he built an Instagram following of roughly 500,000.

“Who would have thought that my biggest opportunity in this new world was going to be because of [soccer],” Fernández told ESPN in May. “I always say that everything happens for a reason, both the good and bad things.”

His acting success led to Fernández founding his own production company with his sister, Espectro MX Films. Since Ted Lasso, Fernández has gotten roles in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

But Fernández retained a passion for soccer and began training again for professional soccer with Chicago Fire II, the reserve side of MLS’s Chicago Fire. He then got a two-month trial with USL Championship club El Paso Locomotive. That led to a professional contract with the club in May 2026.

Two months later, Fernández made his professional debut, subbing into the game in the 79th minute against New Mexico United on Saturday.

Fernández is not exactly a spring chicken at age 35, and there will be pressure on him to perform given his notoriety.

“I understand the pressure, but I guess there’s always been pressure, even in anything I’ve done in my life,” Fernández said when asked by ESPN if he’s worried about how he’ll perform. “I think of myself as a hardworking man, and I have never been the best in anything, but I always give my best and work hard for it.”

Whether Fernández can carve out a second act as a pro remains to be seen. But making his debut at age 35 after first finding fame as Dani Rojas is already an unusual chapter in a remarkable career.