Cristo Fernandez makes pro football debut at 35
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- Cristo Fernández came on as a 79th-minute substitute for El Paso Locomotive in their final USL Cup group game against New Mexico United, marking his first appearance as a professional footballer at age 35.
- El Paso Locomotive lost 2-0 to New Mexico United, with Fernández earning a yellow card in the 87th minute for a foul on goalkeeper Kris Shakes.
- Fernández signed with Locomotive, based in El Paso, Texas, in May after a two-month trial with the American second-tier club.
- Fernández played Dani Rojas in Ted Lasso from 2020 to 2023, having moved to London and been cast in the show after stepping away from youth football in Guadalajara at 15 due to a knee injury.
- Fernández said the return to professional soccer 'is about believing in yourself, taking risks, and continuing to chase your dreams no matter how unexpected the path may be.'
- Apple TV is set to premiere a fourth series of Ted Lasso on 5 August, per the source.
Why it matters: For El Paso Locomotive, signing a globally recognizable Ted Lasso name is a marketing boost ahead of their USL Cup run, even as they finished the group stage with Sunday's defeat. For Fernández personally, the debut fulfills a career deferred 20 years by a knee injury that ended his youth career in Guadalajara.
