Football is life!
Cristo Fernández, who plays the character "Dani Rojas" on Apple TV's "Ted Lasso," returned to the screen recently.
Fernández appeared in a new State Farm advertisement alongside Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and "Jake from State Farm," showcasing his dribbling and shooting skills.
Rojas grew to be an important part of the "Ted Lasso" seasons due to his down-to-earth personality and humor, not to mention his goal-scoring ability for AFC Richmond. Fernández opened up on how his portrayal of the character has been received in the real world now that he's stepped in Rojas' cleats once again.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
"There's people that have approached me almost with tears in their eyes, telling me how much the show has meant to them, how much Dani has meant to them, the joy it has brought to their lives," Fernández said in an interview with NBC. "And that's just made me realize about the importance of what we do and what we put out there in the world.
"And I think that's why I was so happy and grateful with State Farm to be able to be back and play Dani and, you know, it's such an important message, bundling your insurances and protecting yourself and the people you care about. And in a way, Dani and Ted Lasso, it's all about kindness and being kind to each other."
Soccer
But will Rojas return to the screen again if the rumored fourth season of "Ted Lasso" does indeed come out? Fernández gave his thoughts.
"Yeah, I saw the article, I read it, and I was very excited and I think Ted Lasso is bigger than any of us," Fernández said. "And I think whether I'm in or not, I will watch it and I will support it so much. If I have the opportunity to play Dani again, it will be a dream come true because I love playing Dani.
"I love being part of the Lasso vibe... I'm very excited if there's more Ted Lasso. I've always said it, and I think any of us who were part of that, we said it. I think we all want more Ted Lasso and I think Jason [Sudeikis], Brenden [Hunt], Joe [Kelly] and the creators and the writers know what's best for the show and whatever they decide, I will be there, I will watch it, I will support it."
At the end of the third season, Rojas' AFC Richmond fell short of winning the Premier League title after bouncing back from relegation. Instead, Pep Guardiola, who made a cameo in the show, and Manchester City triumphed, just as they have done in real life for four straight seasons.
With the 2024-25 Premier League season a few weeks in, Fernández, a longtime Manchester United fan, offered his predictions on which of the 20 teams will be victorious this time.
"Well I think the team to defeat, as always, right now I think is Man City," Fernández admitted. "It was the same in Ted Lasso, right. It was good games, AFC Richmond against Man City. I think Man United has a great team right now, it's going to be a good season. I've always been a fan of Man United because so many legends I admire have played there and I love red."
Fernández's passion for Manchester United makes sense given his idol. If there was a player he could meet one day, it'd be an infamous three-time Premier League winner with the Red Devils.
"I want to meet one day, Cristiano Ronaldo," Fernández said. "He's someone I relate to. I think he's become who he has become because he's the most disciplined person in the universe, so I would love to meet him."
