Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Ted Lasso season 3, episode 12!Ted Lasso season 3's ending wraps up the hit Apple TV+ series starring Jason Sudeikis as AFC Richmond attempts to win the Premier League. The final season of Ted Lasso has balanced a variety of stories throughout its run, as Ted, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), Keeley Jones (Juno Temple), and Nathan Shelley (Nick Mohammed) all received prominent arcs. After watching the characters grow together and individually over the course of three seasons, as well as giving others bigger roles in recent episodes, the Ted Lasso season 3 ending had a lot to explain before viewers have to say goodbye.
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AFC Richmond has been on a quest to win the Premier League for the entirety of season 3, and Ted Lasso season 3, episode 11 left them in a spot where they could achieve this dream in the final week of play. It also left viewers on a cliffhanger where Ted says he has news to share with Rebecca, which heavily indicated that he would decide to leave the team after this season. His ultimate decision, Nate's return to AFC Richmond, and more means Ted Lasso season 3's ending explained a great deal about the characters' recent stories, while also leaving the door open for some of theirs to continue.
Ted Lasso Officially Leaves AFC Richmond After Coming In 2nd
There is little doubt throughout the entirety of the Ted Lasso season 3 finale that this is the end of Ted's story, as he confirms early on that he has decided to leave AFC Richmond after the conclusion of the season. This decision has been building throughout the course of season 3 as Ted repeatedly struggled with not being there for his son, Henry. Everything from Zava's decision to retire to be with his family to Ted's mom visiting to tell him Henry misses him was used to set up the inevitable conclusion. Not even Rebecca's offer to make him one of the highest-paid coaches in sports changes Ted's mind.
Ted does everything he can to fulfill his promise that AFC Richmond would return to the Premier League and win the whole thing, but the team ultimately comes in second place. This is despite them winning a thrilling comeback against West Ham because Manchester City won the tie-breaker. While Ted ponders if he is crazy for leaving AFC Richmond after nearly winning the Premier League (and graduating to the Champions League), he ultimately stays true to his decision to return home to be with his family. Ted Lasso season 3 ends with Ted back in Kansas coaching Henry's soccer team, fittingly wrapping up his story.
Why Rebecca Decides To Stay At AFC Richmond (& Sell It To Fans)
The majority of Ted Lasso season 3's ending leaves viewers questioning what Rebecca's future will hold, as she begins considering selling AFC Richmond. This is partially because she is done feuding with Rupert and is interested in exploring the world and finding herself. The temptation of making $2 billion from selling the entire club is there, but Rebecca ultimately decides to stay at AFC Richmond. However, she does not retain 100 percent control of the team anymore. Instead of selling 49 percent to another rich investor, she makes the decision to sell those stakes to fans, giving diehard fans a small ownership stake.
Rebecca might have originally planned to leave AFC Richmond alongside Ted, but her decision to stay makes perfect sense. It is because she has finally come to view AFC Richmond as her family, not just an investment, a soccer team, or a way to torment her ex-husband. The change in her perspective is hammered home as Baz, Jeremy, and Paul refer to her as the mom they never had because of how much she cares for AFC Richmond and the fans. It becomes clear to Rebecca that she has found a family with AFC Richmond so being there for the club and giving back is more important to her.
Who Becomes AFC Richmond's Coach After Ted Lasso Leaves
Ted leaving AFC Richmond in the Ted Lasso season 3 ending means that a new coach has to be appointed. Instead of leaving the future of the club a mystery, Rebecca officially announces that Roy is AFC Richmond's new coach, replacing Ted. Roy is selected to take over the position even though Beard stays behind and Nate becomes part of the coaching staff again. The full effects of Roy coaching AFC Richmond are not shown, although it is clear him, Beard, and Nate will still carry on some of Ted's traditions, which include re-hanging the repaired Believe sign.
Roy is an obvious choice to become AFC Richmond's coach after Ted left. He has stepped up throughout the season to help the club, showing his ability to get the best out of players with how he trained Jamie and formed a friendship with him. Roy also proved he could handle the press conference responsibilities after Rebecca asked him to do it. While Beard could have made a fine head coach, he is arguably better suited to be Roy's top assistant. Meanwhile, Nate becoming head coach could have worked after his success at West Ham, but it is clear he prefers being a bit more in the shadows.
Rebecca's Ted Lasso Ending Makes All Psychic Predictions True
The Ted Lasso season 3 ending explained how every one of Rebecca's psychic's predictions could come true. The biggest predictions that had not yet come true was that Rebecca would have a family and be a mother. Both of these psychic predictions are proven to be accurate in multiple ways. Rebecca originally views AFC Richmond as her family, with the fans viewing her as their mother in some ways. While that could have been enough to explain the psychic's predictions, Rebecca running into the man from Amsterdam again changes the answer again.
The reunion between Rebecca and Matteo Van De Grijn's character means that she is on the verge of finding her true family and becoming a mother. They are shown together at the Higgins family cookout at the end, confirming that Rebecca and the man pursue a relationship after crossing paths again. Since he has a daughter too, Rebecca will become her stepmother if they get married. Based on how Rebecca's story ends in Ted Lasso season 3, she will no longer doubt the reliability of her mother's psychic.
Keeley's AFC Richmond Women's Team Sets Up Potential Spinoff
A potential Ted Lasso spinoff is set up in the season 3 finale thanks to Keeley, as she proposes an AFC Richmond women's team to Rebecca. While Keeley's adventures at KJPR could be worthy of a spinoff all by themselves, the tease that Rebecca and Keeley are going to start a women's team at AFC Richmond is another exciting possibility. This would be a chance for Keeley, Rebecca, Higgins, and others to likely return but with an entirely different team dynamic and focus. Nothing has been officially announced at this point, but this is one way that the series can continue on even after Ted Lasso season 3's ending.
What Happens Between Keeley, Roy, and Jamie Next?
One of the biggest mysteries that is left from the Ted Lasso season 3 ending is what happens between Keeley, Roy, and Jamie next. The entire season explored the fallout of Roy and Keeley's breakup, which included Keeley pursuing a romance with Jack while Roy and Jamie became friends. After showing all three of them getting along and hanging out in episode 11 and Roy and Keeley hooking up again earlier, it seemed the series was heading for a resolution where Ted Lasso season 3's ending explained Roy and Keeley were officially back together and Jamie was great friends with them both. Instead, their relationships are left more ambiguous.
Roy and Jamie get into a fistfight about which one of them should be with Keeley during the finale, leaving them to come to the conclusion that she should pick between them, which backfires. Surprisingly, the Ted Lasso season 3 finale does not offer clarity on if Keeley ends up with either of them. It appears that all three characters are still friends in the closing moments, but there are no obvious romantic sparks. The suggestion is that each of them is focusing on themselves and their lives, with Roy's promotion, Jamie reconnecting with his dad, and Keeley leading KJRP keeping them too busy for romance.
Ted Lasso's Ending Proves It Was Never About Ted
One of the big takeaways from Ted Lasso season 3's ending is that the show was never really about Ted. His journey of going from an American football coach to trying to find his footing as a European soccer coach was the focal point of the series in a way. However, Ted Lasso was always more interested in exploring the lives of other characters and showing how their interactions with Ted help change them. He experienced his own character growth throughout the series, but it is unfair to say that the Apple TV+ series was solely about his story.
The show itself proves in the finale that Ted Lasso was really about the development of a family at AFC Richmond. Rebecca is transformed from a vengeful owner to a caring one over the series, while Roy and Jamie's rivalry became the basis for a great friendship. If there was any doubt that the team focus is what Jason Sudeikis and the rest of the show's writers wanted Ted Lasso to be, the finale wipes it away. Between having the players repair the Believe sign to Trent Crimm changing the title of his book from "The Lasso Way" to "The Richmond Way," the intention is clear.
Ted Lasso Season 3's Ending Means Season 4 Can't Happen (But An AFC Richmond Spinoff Can)
Season 3 is the end of the main series by all indications, and the finale makes it so Ted Lasso season 4 cannot happen. Ted going back home to be with his family and settling into his new/old life means that his days at AFC Richmond are done. Having a show that is called Ted Lasso without him does not work, and the idea of a fourth season focusing on Ted and his son's soccer team is not as exciting. Instead, Apple TV+ could make an AFC Richmond spinoff that continues the storylines left open in Ted Lasso season 3's ending.