Hollywood actress and director Eva Longoria has taken a deep dive into her Mexican roots by producing a 10-episode docudrama focused on the storied Mexican soccer team Club Necaxa, which will air in Mexico and the United States in early August.
The project, produced in partnership with Necaxa co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac (formerly Rob McElhenney), will appeal to the legions of fans that Necaxa has attracted over more than a century of existence. But it also has more substantive aims, exploring the club’s ups and downs, its more recent relaunch as the Rayos del Necaxa in Aguascalientes, and the business reality behind it all.
(1/2) Eva Longoria es la nueva directora de un espectáculo llamado Necaxa. “Los deportes en vivo son la última frontera del storytelling” y lo dice desde Aguascalientes: transformar al Necaxa, no solo como equipo, sino como historia viva. pic.twitter.com/VPANKNrbNh
— GQ México y Latam (@GQMexico) May 29, 2025
Longoria, 50, best known for her role in Desperate Housewives, has fashioned a second career as an entrepreneur and is also a co-owner of Club Necaxa. Though U.S.-born, her parents are Mexican and Spanish.
“My commitment to Necaxa is personal,” Longoria says in an online teaser for the show. “I want to show the world the beauty of the Mexican people … One day you can be the underdog and the next day you can become a soccer giant.”
Club Necaxa is one of the original members of what would become Mexico’s professional soccer league (Federación Mexicana de Fútbol) after it was founded in 1922 by the Scotsman William H. Frasser. Players could not be paid in those days, so Frasser simply allowed employees of the electricity company he owned to participate on the team as part of their workload. Not coincidentally, the team was known as the electricistas (electricians) and took its official name from the Necaxa River that supplied water to the power company.
The home games were played in various stadiums in Mexico City, including one in Condesa. It wasn’t until after the turn of the century that the team moved to Aguascalientes.
According to the official trailer, there is much focus on stories about the club and its significance in Mexican culture, including clips of the team interacting with its fans. There is also, according to FX, another participant in the production, footage of the team’s performance during the most recent Apertura and Clausura (the two seasons completed each year in Mexican soccer).
One important premise in the show (titled simply “Necaxa”) is the club’s resurgence following the arrival of new investors. It will show training sessions, athletes’ injuries, administrative decisions and the former powerhouse’s task of regaining its place of honor in Liga MX.
“A passionate core of die-hard fans continues to believe, clinging to the dream that their beloved Rayos will one day rise again,” the description of the TV show says, highlighting the resilience of a team that continues to bring pride to its city despite its many challenges.
The project brings together several production companies such as Hyphenate Media Group (owned by Eva Longoria), Maximum Effort (founded by Ryan Reynolds), More Better Productions (owned by Rob Mac), and 3 Arts Entertainment.
The show’s premiere is scheduled for Aug. 7 via the streaming platform Hulu in the United States. The Mexican audience will have access to it the following day via Disney Plus. Two of the 10 episodes will be released during each of the first three weeks, followed by one episode every Friday through the last episode will air on Sept. 19.
With reports from Record, Diario Las Américas and Infobae
