Ted Lasso: Does the Fictional Club AFC Richmond Win Any Major Trophies?

Ted Lasso season 3 concluded in 2023, leaving our hearts sad and empty. It has been an incredible journey watching an American coach trying to deal with an English football club with a rich legacy.

The series says goodbye with a bittersweet ending, with a feeling of uncertainty that was also there when the show began. Although Ted manages to bring Richmond back into the game, he is also unable to accomplish many targets.

The fate of AFC Richmond is also left uncertain, but the show ends with the club in a much better place than it was when Ted Lasso took over. Since we’ve all talked a lot about Ted Lasso, let’s talk more about the coach’s beloved club, AFC Richmond, and its future.

Ted Lasso season 3 is all about Ted trying to win the English Premier League with a still-developing team. He competes with English giants such as Manchester City and accomplishes a lot of victories. But does the club finally win the league?

1. Does AFC Richmond win anything in Ted Lasso?

AFC Richmond does not win any major trophies over the 3 seasons of Ted Lasso. The club comes second in the Premier League and qualifies to participate in the UEFA Champions League, the most coveted European competition for football clubs.

In Ted Lasso season 3, AFC Richmond comes close to winning the Premier League but fails to win the trophy. Manchester City wins the Premier League in Ted Lasso, much like how things turned out for the real-life club in the 2022-23 season.

However, Richmond defeats several clubs in their race to win the Premier League, including Manchester City and their arch-rivals, West Ham United. At the end of season 3, Richmond defeats their rivals, West Ham United but come second in the Premier League. Therefore, they do not win the trophy.

English football includes several other competitions, such as the FA Cup, EFL Club, and the Carabao Cup. However, season 3 focuses only on Richmond’s journey to winning the Premier League.

Moreover, as per actual English football rules, clubs have to compete at several levels to reach the finals of the FA Cup or other such competitions. Given Richmond’s dire situation, we can assume they could not qualify for higher rounds of the tournaments.

The Premier League does not work like that. As long as your club is not relegated, they can play in the league. The Premier League is arguably the most competitive domestic football league in Europe, so the show focuses on only the league. It is also the biggest honor for any English football club at the domestic level.

2. Why does AFC Richmond lose the Premier League?

AFC Richmond loses the Premier League as it proves the point of the show about the progress being more important than the end result. Although Richmond does not win the league, they come a long way from a club fighting relegation to standing second in the PL table.

Moreover, it is realistic for Richmond not to win the league in their first serious attempt. The Premier League is the most important competition in English football, and a club fighting relegation the previous season and winning it the next season seems too fairy-tale-like.

Ted Lasso has never been about winning but about the journey and the learning during the process. The show did not want to conclude with a fairy tale ending. It ends on a realistic note, as it marks the beginning of a new era for AFC Richmond.

Since Richmond comes second in the league, they are definitely in contention for winning the league in future seasons. It is a remarkable achievement for a club battling relegation to be able to rank second in the league. The club also qualifies for the UCL, which is a new challenge for the team.

AFC Richmond’s journey mirrors the real-life journey of a mid-tier English club, Leicester City. The club won its first Premier League title in 132 years of history in the 2015-16 season, defeating the top English clubs such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea.

Although Richmond does not win the league, they come a long way. It will only be onward and upward for them from now on.

3. About Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso is an American sports-comedy streaming TV series developed by Bill Lawrence, Jason Sudeikis, Joe Kelly, and Brendan Hunt. It’s based on a character of the same name that Sudeikis first portrayed in a series of promos for NBC Sports’ coverage of the Premier League.

It follows the life of Ted Lasso, a coach of college-level American football who is unexpectedly recruited to coach an English Premier League team, AFC Richmond, despite having no experience at all in association football.

It stars Sudeikis as the titular character, Ted Lasso, joined by Hannah Waddingham, Jeremy Swift, Phil Dunster, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammed, Juno Temple, and Sarah Niles among many others.