Yes, Ted Lasso's Dani Rojas actually plays pro soccer now
Yes—Cristo Fernández, the Ted Lasso star who played Dani Rojas, is a real professional soccer player again. After years of hearing "Do you actually play soccer?", the 35-year-old signed with USL Championship club El Paso Locomotive FC in May 2026 and made his debut later that month. His comeback turned a beloved TV catchphrase into an actual roster spot.
Key Takeaways
- Fernández answered the famous fan question by earning a USL contract after trials and training with El Paso.
- Serious knee injuries at 15 ended his youth career in Guadalajara before acting made him Dani Rojas.
- He debuted for El Paso on May 27, 2026, in a 2-0 win over AV Alta FC.
- On June 28, he served as Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup Coin Toss Assistant at Canada vs. South Africa.
- At 35, he is the fifth-oldest player in the USL, inspired by late-career stars like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Why did fans keep asking if he actually plays soccer?
After Ted Lasso made him a household name, strangers everywhere posed the same question to Cristo Fernández: do you actually play soccer? For years, the honest answer was essentially no—not anymore. His football career had stalled after serious meniscus and patella injuries during his teens in Guadalajara, which is partly why he ended up on the Apple TV+ series in the first place.
Those awkward exchanges grew tiring. So Fernández decided to change the answer. He is now rostered with El Paso Locomotive, where teammates call the club "Los Locos." As he told Goal.com, Rojas has become Fernández—and maybe Fernández has become Rojas, too.
How did a Ted Lasso actor land a USL contract?
The path back was deliberate, not a stunt. Meetings with childhood heroes like Ronaldinho and Ronaldo Nazário reawakened his passion. He watched the Premier League, attended LAFC and Mexico national team matches, and asked why he should only act like an elite athlete if he could try to play like one.
During the winter of 2025–26, he held trials with USL and MLS Next Pro sides. Rumors of an El Paso tryout surfaced in March. After training and a scrimmage, the club announced his signing in May. "I just know that this dream of coming back and playing professional soccer again is crazy," he told Goal. "But I've been working hard for this."
What happened at the 2026 World Cup?
Fernández brought Hollywood to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday, June 28. As the Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup Coin Toss Assistant, he took part in pre-match festivities for the Round of 32 clash between Canada and South Africa, shaking referees' hands after the anthems and handing them the coin.
Before kickoff, he chatted with Mexico legends Carlos Salcido and Andrés Guardado and broadcaster Miguel Gurwitz, according to USA Today. As El Paso Times noted, he echoed his Dani Rojas catchphrase: "Porque al final del día, fútbol es vida."
Does a comeback at 35 fit the longevity playbook?
Fernández is the fifth-oldest player in the USL Championship, yet he points to stars extending careers late—Cristiano Ronaldo scoring for Portugal at 41, Vozinha keeping a clean sheet for Cape Verde at 40—as proof that age is not always the final whistle. That mindset mirrors what our Longevity & Biohacking desk tracks: disciplined risk-taking, late reinvention, and refusing to treat a dream as expired.
After coming off the bench in his debut, he insists there is more to come. For now, the answer to the question that followed him for years is simple: yes, he actually plays soccer.