Football is life — and for Cristo Fernández, that phrase just became more than a TV catchphrase. The Mexican actor best known for playing the lovable, goal-hungry Dani Rojas on the hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso has signed a professional soccer contract with El Paso Locomotive FC of the USL Championship, the second tier of American soccer.
The news broke across virtually every major sports and entertainment outlet simultaneously — from the BBC and ESPN to The New York Times and USA Today — a sign of just how much crossover buzz this signing is generating well beyond the traditional soccer audience. It's not every day that a Hollywood actor makes a legitimate jump to professional sports, and the story has captured imaginations on both sides of the Atlantic.
For El Paso soccer fans, this is nothing short of extraordinary. El Paso Locomotive FC has long been one of the most passionate and community-driven clubs in the USL Championship, consistently punching above its weight on and off the pitch. Landing a globally recognized name tied to one of the most celebrated soccer-themed TV shows in history is a massive moment for the organization and for the Sun City soccer community.
Fernández, who is actually Mexican and has a genuine soccer background, portrayed Dani Rojas as a pure-hearted, technically gifted forward whose enthusiasm for the game was absolutely infectious. The character became a fan favorite precisely because he embodied everything joyful about the sport. Whether Fernández can translate on-screen skill and real-life athleticism into meaningful minutes at the professional level remains to be seen — but the signing is legitimate, not a publicity stunt according to multiple credible sources covering the story.
For US soccer fans, the timing couldn't be more interesting. With MLS continuing to grow its global profile and lower divisions like the USL Championship working hard to build their own identities and fanbases, a signing like this shines a massive spotlight on the American soccer pyramid in a way that pure sporting news rarely does. New fans who discovered soccer through Ted Lasso may now find themselves tuning into USL Championship matches for the very first time — and that's a genuine win for the sport's growth in this country.
Whether Fernández becomes a cult hero in the desert or simply earns his professional stripes before riding off into the Hollywood sunset, one thing is certain: El Paso Locomotive FC just became one of the most talked-about clubs in American soccer overnight. And somewhere, Coach Lasso would be proud.