When Cristo Fernandez was 15 years old, a knee injury forced him to quit the sport he loved. More than two decades later, at age 37, he finally stepped onto a professional soccer field again — not as a fan, but as a player for El Paso Locomotive in Texas.
Fernandez is best known for playing Dani Rojas, the cheerful and lovable footballer on the hit TV show Ted Lasso. In the series, Rojas is a character who famously says "Football is life" and whose optimism helps unite his fictional team, AFC Richmond. But long before cameras captured his on-screen kicks, Fernandez was a kid growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, chasing a ball through neighborhood streets.
"This journey back to professional soccer is about believing in yourself, taking risks, and continuing to chase your dreams no matter how unexpected the path may be," Fernandez said after signing with the team.
The path certainly was unexpected. After his early retirement from youth soccer, Fernandez moved to London, where he was cast in Ted Lasso — a show about an American football coach hired to manage a fictional English Premier League team. The show became a global phenomenon, winning awards and millions of devoted fans. Fernandez played Rojas for three seasons, watching the character grow from a nervous newcomer into a beloved team leader.
But somewhere along the way, the actor who had given up his own athletic dreams decided to try again. He signed with El Paso Locomotive, a professional soccer team in the United Soccer League. On game day, Fernandez laced up his boots and took the field, finally living out the comeback he once thought impossible.
Ted Lasso fans have plenty to look forward to as well. A fourth season of the show will begin streaming on Apple TV on August 5, giving viewers more adventures with AFC Richmond — and more of Fernandez's character, whose catchphrase "It's the hope that kills you" has become a fan favorite.
Fernandez's story is a reminder that second chances are real. You don't have to be the fastest, the youngest, or the one everyone expected you to be. Sometimes, the most unexpected paths lead exactly where you're meant to go. And for Fernandez, that means finally scoring that professional goal he's been dreaming about since he was a teenager in Guadalajara.
His advice, it seems, is the same one his character delivers on screen: keep believing, keep trying, and never stop running toward what you love.