'Football is life': Ted Lasso actor signs with US pro soccer team

Mexican actor Cristo Fernández, famous for his role as footballer Dani Rojas in the hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, has signed a professional contract with a US soccer team. The actor told the BBC it was a 'dream come true.' Fernández is the first Ted Lasso cast member to make the leap from fictional to real-world professional football.

Cristo Fernández, the Mexican actor best known for portraying the enthusiastic footballer Dani Rojas in Apple TV+'s beloved comedy series Ted Lasso, has officially signed with a professional soccer team in the United States — turning his on-screen passion for the sport into real-world reality.

Fernández told the BBC that joining the US pro club was a «dream come true», a sentiment that echoes the catchphrase of his beloved character, who famously declared «football is life» throughout the show's run. The signing marks a remarkable crossover between entertainment and professional sport.

The Ted Lasso series, which followed an American college football coach brought in to manage a fictional English Premier League club, became a global phenomenon and won multiple Emmy Awards. Fernández's portrayal of the cheerful Mexican striker Dani Rojas became one of the show's fan-favourite characters, endearing him to audiences worldwide.

While details of which specific US club Fernández has signed with were not immediately disclosed, the move has generated significant buzz on social media, with fans of the show celebrating the actor's real-life footballing ambitions becoming reality.