Throughout the first seasons of <em>Ted Lasso</em>, several characters are inspired by real football players. Ted Lasso is one of Apple TV’s most cherished series, and as the most nominated first-season comedy in Emmy history prepares for its return with season 4, its original cast is somewhat grounded in reality. The show’s success stems from the fact that Ted Lasso drew inspiration for its titular character from real-life figures in football, such as FC Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp.
Similarly, while Ted Lasso’s AFC Richmond is not a real football team, the fictional team and its players are influenced by various professional footballers and actual football clubs. These real-world inspirations anchor the show in reality while embracing its whimsical premise. Sudeikis and Hunt reportedly engaged in playing FIFA video games, where each player’s team consists of actual professional football players. The creators of the show clearly invested significant effort into crafting authentic characters and developing meaningful backstories for them, with real footballers serving as a foundation for their development.
Season 4 of Ted Lasso, which will depict Richmond AFC building a women’s team, may be less connected to real-life players; however, the earlier seasons featured several characters inspired by actual counterparts. As changes unfold, revisiting those who were inspired by real players in Ted Lasso could offer insights into what lies ahead.
Sam Obisanya
Played By Toheeb Jimoh
Sam Obisanya is an emerging footballer from Nigeria when he is first introduced to audiences. In season 1, Obisanya rises through the ranks to become an essential midfielder and winger for AFC Richmond. In Ted Lasso season 2, his popularity continues to grow, and Sam becomes the face of a controversial advertising campaign for Dubai Air.
When his character stands against the airline after discovering their responsibility for a catastrophic oil spill in Nigeria, it echoes the activism seen among many players in real life, such as NFL and Olympic soccer teams taking a knee before games.
In season 3, Sam remains an outspoken advocate, criticizing a British politician’s anti-immigration stance. In response, Sam is told to focus on playing football and avoid politics. This mirrors the real-life incident where LeBron James criticized former President Donald Trump and was told to “shut up and dribble” by political commentator Laura Ingraham. By the series’ conclusion, Sam’s readiness to speak out earns him the captaincy of AFC Richmond.
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Character |
Actor |
|---|---|
|
Sam Obisanya |
Toheeb Jimoh |
|
Dani Rojas |
Cristo Fernández |
|
Roy Kent |
Brett Goldstein |
|
Jamie Tartt |
Phil Dunster |
|
Zava |
Maximilian Osinski |
Dani Rojas
Played By Cristo Fernández
Dani Rojas is among the Ted Lasso characters with the most real-life inspiration. Rojas is a cheerful footballer from Guadalajara, Mexico, who believes that “Football Is life.” Like his coach, Rojas’ enthusiasm and joyful nature are infectious. His skills as a player also contribute significantly to elevating the AFC Richmond team.
Numerous real footballers display a similar level of talent and passion for the game, leading to comparisons between Rojas and stars like Alexis Sanchez, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappé. Most notably, Dani Rojas draws parallels with Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, who was born in Guadalajara and played in Mexico before transitioning to England’s Premier League.
While Rojas shares a close resemblance to Hernández, his character was initially intended to be from Iceland. Season 3 reveals Rojas’ tougher side while maintaining his positive energy as he nearly gets into a confrontation against Nate’s West Ham United F.C., also injuring Canadian teammate Van Damme during their respective national team matchups. In an unexpected turn of events, Fernández pursued a football career himself after Ted Lasso, signing with El Paso Locomotive in early 2026.
Roy Kent
Played By Brett Goldstein
Roy Kent is an experienced player who retires from the team at the end of season 1. Although originally hired as a writer on the series, Goldstein perfectly embodies the candid yet lovable footballer who always speaks his mind. Many fans have noted connections between Roy Kent and real-life footballer Roy Keane, who served as captain of Manchester United from 1997 to 2005.
Keane is known for his competitive playing style and bold demeanor in reality, sharing more than just a name with Kent. Others have highlighted similarities between Roy Kent’s career trajectory in the Premier League and that of Gary Cahill. After leading Chelsea to victory in the UEFA Champions League, Cahill later joined Crystal Palace—partially inspiring AFC Richmond’s character arc—during the twilight years of his career. Kent eventually takes on a coaching role with AFC Richmond and remains when Ted departs at season 3’s end. Despite their initially rocky relationship, Kent becomes a mentor to former teammate Jamie Tartt, creating one of Ted Lasso’s most compelling relationships. Kent will be among the few AFC Richmond players returning for Ted Lasso season 4.
Jamie Tartt
Played By Phil Dunster
When Jamie Tartt appears in season 1, he is on loan to AFC Richmond from Manchester City and serves as another character inspired by several real players. His status as a star player from Manchester has led many fans to draw comparisons between Jamie Tartt and David Beckham. Another former Manchester United player Tartt resembles is Cristiano Ronaldo. Often regarded as one of the greatest footballers ever and one of the most recognized figures globally, Tartt shares Ronaldo’s tendency to embrace attention.
The flashy persona of Jamie Tartt was influenced by various sources including makeup and costume design based on real players. When Tartt returned to Manchester City at season 1’s conclusion, his spiked hairstyle drew inspiration from Cristiano Ronaldo’s look in reality. Later on, Tartt mirrored Manchester City midfielder Jack Grealish with his side-shaved slick-back hairstyle.
Tartt underwent significant development throughout the series. Season 2 showcased him being humbled by experiences outside Richmond while recognizing Ted’s positive influence on him. He also reconciled past behaviors by adopting a more supportive role within the team under Roy Kent’s guidance.
Zava
Played By Maximilian Osinski
Zava made his debut in season 3 as a new star forward for AFC Richmond after Rebecca reached out to him knowing he could make them nearly unbeatable. This character draws inspiration not only from real individuals but also reflects actor Maximilian Osinski’s influences—specifically Eric Cantona, Robert Lewandowski, and Zlatan Ibrahimović.
Zlatan Ibrahimović had the most significant impact on Zava’s portrayal. Osinski mentioned that he read Ibrahimović’s book and watched documentaries featuring him to prepare for this role (via Today). Ibrahimović played for AC Milan and Sweden’s national team since beginning his international career in 1999 while still active today—contrasting Zava who announced retirement shortly after joining Richmond.
AFC Richmond Team & Other Players
The Team Is Fictional But Has A Real-Life Basis
AFC Richmond itself is based on actual teams from the Premier League—primarily Crystal Palace—whose South London location and red-blue color scheme closely align with fictional AFC Richmond’s identity. There are numerous reasons why audiences love Ted Lasso , but this attention to detail significantly elevates the series.
This meticulousness brings characters alive while celebrating their real-life inspirations within Ted Lasso . Although three short seasons concluded this chapter of AFC Richmond’s story arc thus far, it remains possible that their journey could continue—making it intriguing to see what additional real-life influences will shape future narratives.
The first action taken when season 4 became feasible was securing three deals with UK acting union members ensuring Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca Walton), Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent), and Jeremy Swift (Lesie Higgins) would return alongside U.S SAG-AFTRA cast members Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso), Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard), and Juno Temple (Keeley Jones).
The majority of cast members expressed enthusiasm about returning for season 4 indicating minimal changes among front-of-house staff while player dynamics shift significantly within this narrative arc focusing on female soccer athletes—potentially introducing fictionalized versions inspired by Jill Scott or Lucy Bronze among others.
- Release Date
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August 14, 2020
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