Ted Lasso’s Cristo Fernández signs with El Paso Locomotive

Cristo Fernández, the actor who plays Dani Rojas on Ted Lasso, says he’s “grateful to compete” after signing a professional contract with U.S. soccer team El Paso Locomotive. The move ends a detour: a knee injury ended his youth-playing career at 15, pushing h

The first time Cristo Fernández said “football is life” was in an audition self-tape—back when the role was still fictional and his next chapter hadn’t started yet.

Now. the Ted Lasso actor who plays the joy-fueled Premier League striker Dani Rojas has taken the slogan out of television and into real stadium days. Fernández has signed a professional contract with El Paso Locomotive. the Texas-based club he announced “earlier this month. ” and in a new interview he told the BBC he feels “grateful to compete” as he makes the jump from on-screen pro to real-life player.

Fernández described the overlap between himself and his character in plain terms: he and Dani Rojas are “otherwise the same guy.” He also gave a specific reason for the character’s high-voltage energy—Rojas is “super caffeinated”—and he traced the famous “football is life” line to that first audition. Actors had been asked to speak about their background in soccer. and the words became part of the character’s identity from there.

The signing announcement from El Paso Locomotive carried a reminder of how much the football dream has traveled. Fernández played professional youth soccer in his native Mexico until a knee injury at age 15 forced him onto the sidelines and toward acting. After that injury, the path changed. But it didn’t end.

Before locking in his spot with the club, Fernández appeared in a pre-season match against New Mexico United. He also trained with the reserves of the Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire this year, helping bridge the gap between acting schedules and actual training routines.

El Paso Locomotive head coach Junior Gonzalez framed the move as both soccer and culture. In his comments after the signing. Gonzalez said: “Cristo is a great addition to our roster. adding another attacking threat to our forward line. His passion for the game and leadership qualities for our locker room allow us to continue growing the positive culture we strive for as a club.”.

For Fernández, the emotion is sharper than the headlines. He said “Fútbol has always been a huge part of my life and identity, and no matter where life has taken me, the dream of competing professionally never truly left my heart.”

He continued by thanking the club and the people who welcomed him, saying he is “incredibly grateful to El Paso Locomotive FC — the club, coaches, staff, and especially my teammates — for opening the doors and giving me the opportunity to compete from day one.”

Fernández also tied the moment to risk and persistence. “This journey back to professional fútbol soccer is about believing in yourself, taking risks, and continuing to chase your dreams no matter how unexpected the path may be,” he said.

Then came the message that sounded less like a press quote and more like a personal vow. Using a line from Mexico, he added: “hay que seguirle echando ganas (let’s keep giving it our all). Siempre agradecido con Dios. mi familia y amistades por creer en mí.” He wrapped it with a bit of humor about himself—“Maybe I’m just a crazy man with crazy dreams”—before landing on the club’s fan identity: “so being here with the ‘Locos’ actually makes perfect sense. ¡Vamos Locos.”.

El Paso Locomotive, founded in 2018, plays in the USL Championship, the tier below Major League Soccer. The club is currently fifth in its group.

For Fernández, the stakes are personal: a dream that began with youth football, was interrupted by a knee injury at 15, and later found a worldwide audience through Ted Lasso—now returning to the field, one day at a time.

Cristo Fernández Ted Lasso Dani Rojas El Paso Locomotive USL Championship Chicago Fire New Mexico United soccer signing BBC interview