Executives at the USL Championship franchise announced Thursday they have formally awarded a professional athletic contract to Cristo Fernández, a 33-year-old actor whose primary qualification is successfully simulating the sport on an Apple TV+ broadcast.
Executives at the USL Championship franchise announced Thursday they have formally awarded a professional athletic contract to Cristo Fernández, a 33-year-old actor whose primary qualification is successfully simulating the sport on an Apple TV+ broadcast.
According to roster designations submitted to the United States Soccer Federation, the second-tier club has categorized the actor’s scripted, digitally enhanced goals as actionable performance metrics. Club officials confirmed they did not conduct traditional physical trials, relying instead on high-definition footage of Fernández portraying the fictional character Dani Rojas in the comedy series Ted Lasso to evaluate his utility in a live, unchoreographed sporting environment.
We have conducted a rigorous review of Mr. Fernández’s tape from season two, and while his defensive work rate appears heavily reliant on multiple camera angles, his ability to hit his marks on a soundstage translates directly to our tactical shape.
Fernández, who last participated in unscripted competitive soccer at age 15 before a knee injury prompted his transition to the performing arts, is expected to integrate into the starting lineup immediately.
Franchise administrators declined to comment on internal memos suggesting the club’s ongoing search for a chief medical officer is currently restricted to former cast members of the ABC medical drama Greys Anatomy.