Ted Lasso: Every Real Life Footballer The Characters Are Based On

There have been several Ted Lasso characters based on real football players throughout the show’s first stretch of seasons. Ted Lasso is one of Apple TV’s most beloved series, and while the most nominated first-season comedy in Emmy history will be returning for a new era with season 4, its original cast is somewhat rooted in reality. Part of the show’s success comes from the fact that Ted Lasso pulled its inspiration for its titular character from real life, as the show was in part inspired by real-world figures from the world of football like FC Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp.

Likewise, while Ted Lasso’s AFC Richmond may not be a real football team, the fictional team and its players are informed by several professional footballers and real football clubs. These real-world influences ground the show in reality while embracing the silly premise. Sudeikis and Hunt reportedly spent time playing FIFA video games, where each gamer’s team consists of real-life professional football players. The show’s creators clearly put a lot of effort into creating authentic characters and developing meaningful backstories for them, and drawing from real footballers helped them to feel like rounded characters.

Ted Lasso season 4, which will follow Richmond AFC building a women’s team, may be less connected to real-life players, but the early seasons of the series have featured several players who were inspired by real-life counterparts. As things change, revisiting those who were inspired by real players on Ted Lasso could give some insight into what’s to come next.

Sam Obisanya

Played By Toheeb Jimoh

Sam Obisanya is an up-and-coming footballer from Nigeria when he was first introduced to audiences. In season 1, Obisanya rises through the ranks of the team to become an important midfielder and winger for AFC Richmond. In Ted Lasso season 2, his star continues to rise, and Sam becomes the face of the controversial Dubai Air advertising campaign.

When his character takes a stand against the airline after finding out they are responsible for a devastating oil spill in Nigeria, it harkens back to the many players who have participated in this form of activism in real life, such as NFL and Olympic soccer teams taking a knee before games.

In season 3, Sam continues to be an outspoken voice, criticizing a British politician and their anti-immigration stance. In response, Sam is told he should stick to playing football and stay out of politics. This is similar to the real-life incident of LeBron James criticizing former President Donald Trump and being told to “shut up and dribble” by political commentator Laura Ingraham. By the end of the series, Sam’s willingness to speak up earns him the position of captain of AFC Richmond.

Dani Rojas

Played By Cristo Fernández

Among the Ted Lasso characters based on real players, Dani Rojas has the most inspiration. Rojas is a joyful and exuberant footballer hailing from Guadalajara, Mexico, who believes that “Football Is life.” Like his coach, Rojas’ enthusiasm and cheerful disposition are contagious. Rojas’ skill as a player also helps bring the AFC Richmond team to the next level.

There are many real footballers who exhibit a similar level of raw talent and passion for the game, and Rojas has been compared to the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappé. Most notably, Dani Rojas is compared to Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, who was born in Guadalajara and played in Mexico before moving to England to play in the Premier League.

While Rojas likely shares the closest resemblance to Hernández, his character was originally supposed to be from Iceland. Season 3 shows Rojas’ rougher side as well, while still maintaining his positive energy, as he is seen nearly getting into a fight against Nate’s West Ham United F.C. and also breaks Canadian teammate Van Damme’s nose when they face off when representing their respective home countries. In a turn of events, Fernández found himself pursuing a football career of his own after Ted Lasso, as he was signed to play for the El Paso Locomotive in early 2026.

Roy Kent

Played By Brett Goldstein

Roy Kent is a seasoned player who retires from the team at the end of season 1. Though originally hired as a writer on the series, Goldstein perfectly portrays the frank but loveable footballer who never minces his words. Many fans have pointed out the connections between Roy Kent and real-life footballer Roy Keane, who excelled as the real-life team captain of Manchester United from 1997 to 2005.

As Keane is noted for his highly competitive style of play and brash demeanor in real life, he and Kent clearly share more than a name in common. Others have pointed out the similarities between the trajectory of Roy Kent’s career in the Premier League to that of footballer Gary Cahill. After leading Chelsea to the UEFA Champions League,

Cahill later went to play with Crystal Palace, the real-life team AFC Richmond is partially based on. Like Kent, this move took place in the twilight of Cahill’s career. Kent later takes on a coaching job with AFC Richmond and stays on when Ted leaves at the end of season 3. Despite their initial prickly relationship, Kent also becomes a mentor to former teammate and rival Jamie Tartt, making for one of Ted Lasso‘s best relationships. Kent will be one of the few AFC Richmond footballers returning for Ted Lasso season 4.

Jamie Tartt

Played By Phil Dunster

When Jamie Tartt is introduced in season 1, he is on loan to AFC Richmond from Manchester City, and he is another Ted Lasso character based on several real players. The fact that he’s a star player from Manchester has caused many fans to draw parallels between Jamie Tartt and David Beckham. Another ex-Manchester United player Tartt resembles is Cristiano Ronaldo. Often regarded as one of the greatest footballers of his time and one of the most famous, Tartt has been compared to Ronaldo for his tendency not to shy away from the limelight.

There are other influences that created the flashy, camera-loving Jamie Tartt, even down to the makeup and costume design, which was also informed by real players. When Tartt moved back to Manchester City at the end of season 1, his spiked, middle-peak was inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo’s look in real life. And later, Tartt channeled real-life Manchester City midfielder, Jack Grealish, with his side-shaved, slicked-back hairdo.

Tartt saw a tremendous evolution over the course of the show. Season 2 saw him being humbled by his career outside of Richmond and realizing he benefited from the positive leadership of Ted. He also made amends for his past behavior, taking a less aggressive role in the team and working hard to be the best player he could be under the guidance of Roy Kent.

Zava

Played By Maximilian Osinski

Zava made his debut in season 3, briefly becoming the new star forward for AFC Richmond thanks to Rebecca reaching out to him, knowing he could make AFC Richmond almost unstoppable. This character is not only based on real people, but Zava actor Maximilian Osinski himself revealed who his character was based on. According to Osinski, Zava is based on Eric Cantona, Robert Lewandowski, and Zlatan Ibrahimović.

Out of the three, it was Zlatan Ibrahimović who most influenced the Zava role. Osinski said he read Ibrahimović’s book and watched documentaries with the footballer in them to prepare for playing the character (via Today). Ibrahimović played for AC Milan and the Sweden national team, starting his international career in 1999 and still playing to this day. This differs from Zava who announced his retirement from the sport shortly after joining Richmond.

AFC Richmond Team & Other Players

The Team Is Fictional But Has A Real-Life Basis

Like its well-developed characters, even the AFC Richmond team itself is based on real teams from the Premier League, predominantly Crystal Palace, whose similar South London location and red and blue team colors closely align with the fictional AFC Richmond. There are lots of reasons to love Ted Lasso, but this attention to detail is one of the many things that help to elevate the series.

Such details bring the characters to life while celebrating the real-life players these Ted Lasso characters are based on. Though the series ended with three short seasons, it’s possible the world of AFC Richmond could continue, and it will be interesting to see what real-life inspirations it continues to draw from.

The first thing that Ted Lasso did when season 4 became a possibility was to lock in three deals with UK acting union members, and that means Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca Walton), Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent), and Jeremy Swift (Lesie Higgins) are returning. The next step was reaching out to the U.S. SAG-AFTRA cast members. Thankfully, Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso), Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard), and Juno Temple (Keeley Jones) will be returning as well.

Most cast members have said they would love to return for season 4, so expect the front-of-house team to remain mostly unchanged, with the players being the biggest shift to the series. With that said, the third season ended with Keeley and Rebecca considering partnering for a new venture, specifically, the AFC Richmond Women’s Team. With the men getting a happy ending in season 3, Ted Lasso season will focus on female soccer players, which could mean the possibility of seeing fictionalized versions of players like Jill Scott, Lucy Bronze, and Aitana Bonmatí.

Release Date

August 14, 2020

Network

Apple TV

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