Men's Lifestyle October 9, 2026 0 Comments

Ted Lasso Season 5: The Shocking Twist That Could Change Everything—Are You Ready to Face It?

Picture this: a fifth season of Ted Lasso—yes, you read that right—is not just wishful thinking anymore. With Apple still playing coy on the official renewal, the show’s crafted this cleverly plotted three-year arc, leaving us all biting our nails wondering—where does it go from here? After the rollercoaster finale of season 4, I’m left pondering: can Richmond WFC really shake off the underdog label for good, or are we in for a beautiful game of highs and lows? And beyond the pitch, what fresh drama or heartwarming moments await Alice now that she’s steering the ship as head coach? Honestly, with so many storylines dangling by the whistle, I can’t help but feel a thrill for what’s next. And you? Ready to dive into the wild possibilities? LEARN MORE

5 min read

As hard as it is to, ahem, believe—don’t forget to tap the sign—a fifth season of Ted Lasso is possible. Although Apple hasn’t yet renewed its bafflingly popular sports comedy for another season, the show is currently operating on a planned three-year arc. But given how and where things ended up in season 4, what could a fifth season even look like?

Below, we take a crack at doing our best to predict the future and anticipate which storylines Ted Lasso will pick up and take further down the pitch, and which ones are officially benched for good.

Warning: Spoilers for Ted Lasso season 4 ahead.

For starters, season 5 might see a different Richmond WFC. The team was promoted in the second-to-last episode (which I personally didn’t even notice, but Brendan Hunt confirmed to Deadline in a new interview). They’re no longer a bunch of nobodies playing in second-division football. But perhaps they’re not done being the underdog. The team’s collective arc has been its struggle to fill its home games; the finale proved that it can put butts in seats. Now comes the harder part of getting said butts to stay. Expect season 5 to run some of the same plays seen in all underdog sports comedies, which is a team learning how to actually be a dominant and consistent force that people want to see—and to see win.

On a granular level, there are still some lingering story arcs that season 4 left on an open-ended note. Alice Chilton (Tanya Reynolds) is now the head coach of Richmond WFC, with Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and Beard (Hunt) willingly demoting themselves to assistant managers. Her relationship to her players is strong now, or at least stronger than it was before New Year’s. And her issues with Gemma Jay (Abbie Hern) are basically over and done with. I still think there’s more to mine there—the full extent of their history has only been alluded to—but by season’s end, we get the strong impression that they are friendly now, if not friends.

Two athletes in sports jackets stand on the sideline, showing focus and determination during a team event.

Colin Hutton

A fifth season of Ted Lasso could potentially place even greater focus on Alice, now that she’s in the more consequential role of head coach of Richmond WFC.

But being a head coach is a severely different position. The team’s success and failure now rests on her shoulders, and she’ll definitely have to put up with more front-office politics than she’s been exposed to previously. To say nothing of speaking in press scrums. Even a veteran coach like Ted Lasso was embarrassed the first time he ever spoke to Trent Crimm way back in season 1. Alice, whose strong suit is clearly not communication, will probably have to learn how to live with bright, blinding cameras in her face and dogged reporters trying to get the best quote. It’s a good thing her home life seems stable. (For now.) She’ll need a rock to keep her grounded as she learns what else it means to be a coach on and off the field.

Elsewhere, Ted Lasso is not lacking in interesting characters. We still don’t know all the players too well. We’ve glimpsed some of their lives—including Faye Marsay’s Lizzie, whose boys have basically made the locker room their playground—but even in the finale, there are still threads to pull. Something’s gotta give with Lizzie and her ex, whose musician lifestyle continues to be a thorn in her side. The twins and Boots (Jude Mack) are all broke as hell—and Boots has a mean streak that the team will have to address sooner rather than later—while Shannon (Shannon Hayes) will have to become more than the hometown girl playing for the hometown team. And Margy and Mady will either marry or kill each other.

One of the more interesting open-ended questions for season 5 involves series staples Roy (Brett Goldstein) and Keeley (Juno Temple). We saw the two get back together in season 4, finally, and it seems permanent this time short of a wedding certificate. And Keeley ended the season pregnant, with both eager to become parents. At the same time, Roy has accepted a dream job coaching Chelsea. So will we actually see Keeley and Roy grow together as parents? Or will that get relegated to an off-screen journey that we’ll see only through one-off appearances?

A man in a black leather jacket stands at a door with a wall of colorful sticky notes above labeled "BELIEVE.

Colin Hutton

Roy Kent’s story isn’t officially over on Ted Lasso, but he may have a smaller presence next season now that he’s coaching rival Chelsea and becoming a new father.

In his Deadline interview, Brendan Hunt says it is not necessarily the end for Roy Kent. Instead, it’s just about giving writers “wiggle room” as both Goldstein and Temple are “busy people,” Hunt said. “We don’t know if we’re coming back, and when we come back, we don’t know what’s going to be going on in their lives,” he said. “So yeah, the wiggle room.”

Speaking of Hunt, his Coach Beard has been on a journey. The season began with the heavy suggestion that his marriage to Jane would receive greater scrutiny. That ultimately did not happen outside of (awkwardly comedic) bits in which Jane intrudes in Beard’s life. Jane also wrote an acclaimed play about their relationship that, by the finale, is enjoying a buzzy run on the West End.

In season 5, you can expect to see Beard’s life blow up some more as film or TV adaptations become possible. But can Beard handle that? He spent most of the season going through it, as it were, with New Year’s kicking off a mental and emotional spiral about his insecurities. The finale saw him regain some stability and security in himself, as evidenced by a new shaved head that (in my opinion) genuinely works for him. But season 5 could easily reopen those wounds. We’re not done here, is basically what I’m saying.

This leaves us with the man himself, Ted Lasso. Personally, I worry if Ted Lasso is even his show anymore. His story has been told; he proved the doubters wrong. He turned a losing proposition—getting hired to coach European football under false pretenses—into a winning experience. There’s little left for Ted to “prove” anymore, and now that he’s been relegated (his idea), the future for Richmond doesn’t even rest on him anymore.

Two individuals pose together at an event with a blue backdrop featuring logos and text.

Colin Hutton

If there’s anyone on Ted Lasso who might get a truly happy ending, it’s Rebecca. When she marries Matthijs, will she still want to hold on to Richmond?

Halfway through this season, it became clear Ted’s story is that of a one-man love story. Ted is a bachelor again—well, he has been, but he’s ready to actually move forward now—but that story has been muddied by Mae’s death and Henry’s newfound fear of losing people. As Ted tries to be a present force in his family’s life, will he have the freedom to see anyone else? And even then, how might Henry react when Ted starts bringing a stranger to dinner? We’ve known forever that Ted Lasso is about more than just football (even though football is life). But has it been about love too?

Love has been Rebecca’s (Hannah Waddingham) story, at least. The finale ended with Rebecca and her hunky pilot Matthijs (Matteo van der Grijn) getting engaged. While Rebecca is currently the majority owner of Richmond WFC, it’s also the last thing connecting her to her former husband, Rupert (the late Anthony Head). Perhaps in season 5, Rebecca will realize she has nothing else to hold on to and that Richmond, much as she loves it, doesn’t have to be hers anymore. But who could buy Richmond from her? That’s a question only tomorrow can answer.