Mexico enters Sunday’s round of 16 doing exactly what actor Cristo Fernández believes the World Cup is all about: dreaming big.
El Tri could not be performing better on soccer’s grandest stage—perfect thus far with four-straight victories and not a single goal conceded. It most recently dismantled a gritty, defense-minded Ecuador 2–0 in the round of 32 in front of a thunderous crowd at the Estadio Azteca, earning a first knockout stage win in 40 years and officially breaking the infamous “la maldición del quinto partido,” or “fifth game curse.”
Mexico now sets its sights on England, having every belief in itself to upset the mighty Three Lions and stake a claim to the quarterfinals, a stage the North American country has not reached since 1986. It will be another battle at the hallowed Azteca, an unconquerable fortress for Mexico, who has lost just twice there in 89 total matches. If the players cannot will themselves to win, they believe the spirit of that soccer temple will.
It’s been an inspirational run for Guadalajara-born Fernández, who is not only a Mexico soccer fan, but is also currently chasing his own soccer dream. The Hollywood star, who plays striker Dani Rojas in the popular soccer-based comedy television series “Ted Lasso,” has recently put his acting career on pause to pursue his other life-long dream: playing professional soccer. Fernández signed a contract with USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive FC in May, turning fiction into reality.
“Regardless of your age, it’s cool to dream because we are told in society that only kids and young children are allowed to dream big, but I think it’s for all ages,” he tells Sports Illustrated, while donning Mexico’s deep green home jersey. “I hope grownups truly understand that we can all dream.”
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To ‘Believe,’ Dream Big
“As time passed, it awoke in me, this passion again,” Fernández says about coming back to soccer. “But also I wanted to prove to myself that I actually could play. I was not feeling right because I was fulfilling dreams of a soccer player without being a soccer player. I just had to go for it.”
To Fernández, there are so many dreams bottled up in the world’s game. After all, “Believe” is a central philosophy to “Ted Lasso,” epitomized by the crooked yellow sign that the main character, Ted, tapes up on the locker room wall. It is a sentiment most prominently felt in the sport’s most prestigious competition, by the players and fans alike.
“I just love the passion for the game and the spirit of the celebration,” he says, speaking in partnership with StubHub’s World Cup Cuts campaign, centered on celebrating soccer’s fan culture. ”The World Cup itself for me is a dream come true. It’s my first World Cup that I’ve [seen] in person, and I am able to live it with my sister, Paloma, and my friends.
“I went to the first inaugural game in the Estadio Azteca, so that was a dream come true and something I will never forget. I’m just very grateful for and proud of our campaign that we are doing.”
Fernández hasn’t been able to attend all of El Tri’s matches, due to his new, rigorous training schedule in Texas, where he is learning to adapt to the high level of play. Nevertheless, he is watching closely as Mexico chases its soccer’s dreams. Meanwhile, he’ll see out his own.
