EL PASO, Texas (KFOX 14, CBS 4) — “Fútbol is life,” the iconic phrase made famous by Ted Lasso star Cristo Fernández, has now become reality. Fernández has officially signed to play professional soccer with El Paso Locomotive FC.
“It is a dream come true,” Fernández said. “It has been lots of hard work and a long journey. I am just grateful to be here in El Paso.”
As a child, Fernández always dreamed of playing professionally. Growing up in Mexico, he played for Tecos Estudiantes and later pursued a professional career in Puerto Rico. However, after suffering a series of knee injuries, he stepped away from soccer to focus on acting.
Everything changed after his breakout role as Dani Rojas on the hit television series Ted Lasso, a role that reignited his passion for the sport and brought him back to the beautiful game.
“This crazy dream started a couple of years ago with the Ted Lasso Journey,” he said. “I met some of my heroes and achieved soccer dreams without being a soccer player. So I thought, ‘Who am I? What am I doing?’ On my own, without saying anything I started training.”
The 35-year old said the show helped open doors to him that he never imagined. He aded that Mexican soccer legend Andres Guardado, who also grew up in Guadalajara, helped him get back to training.
Fernández, who will play striker for the Locos, says he is stepping away from acting and his full focus is on helping El Paso win matches this season.
“I care about this team and my teammates,” Fernández said. “I am here to add to this hunger because we want to achieve something great for the team, ourselves and the city.”
Fernández and the Locomotive now have some time off before returning to action against AV ALTA in the USL Cup on May 27.