A simple stroll through New York City has turned into a global case of mistaken identity, dragging a retired soccer legend into a Hollywood romance rumor he never saw coming.

### The Viral Hook: A Tale of Two Rafaels
It started, as most things do, with a paparazzi photo. **Pedro Pascal**, the internet’s favorite “daddy” and star of *The Last of Us*, was spotted walking arm-in-arm in the Lower East Side with a handsome companion over Valentine’s Day weekend. The rumor mill instantly spun into overdrive. Major US gossip outlets, including TMZ, quickly identified the mystery man as **Rafael Olarra**.

Fans immediately Googled the name, only to find the profile of a famous retired Chilean footballer. The internet gasped: Was the Mandalorian dating a South American sports icon? The answer is yes… and no. The name was right, but the man was wrong.

### Deep Dive: The Mistake That Went Global

The confusion stems from a bizarre coincidence: there are two prominent men named Rafael Olarra, and they couldn’t be more different.

**The “Real” Mystery Man: The Art Director**
The man *actually* holding hands with Pedro Pascal is **Rafael Olarra**, an Argentine art director and creative executive.
* **Background:** He is a well-known figure in the fashion and design world, having served as a creative director for the Faena Hotel chain.
* **Celebrity Connections:** This isn’t his first brush with fame; he previously dated actor **Luke Evans** from 2019 to 2021.

**The “Accidental” Boyfriend: The Soccer Star**
The man mistakenly tagged in the viral frenzy is **Rafael Olarra**, the 47-year-old retired Chilean footballer.
* **Career:** A defensive legend who played for Universidad de Chile and the Chilean national team, winning an Olympic bronze medal in Sydney 2000.
* **Current Status:** He is currently a sports commentator for **ESPN Chile**.
* **Relationship:** He is happily in a relationship with model and TV host **Lucila Vit**, with whom he shares a daughter.

### The Internet’s Reaction
Instead of issuing a somber denial, the Chilean Olarra and his partner leaned into the chaos with top-tier humor.

Upon seeing the news that her partner was “dating” Pedro Pascal, **Lucila Vit** took to Instagram, posting a screenshot of the headline with the caption: *”I wake up to find out I’m trending for this news… So with Pedro Pascal? I forgive you @rafaolarra19.”*

The footballer fired back with his own joke, reposting the erroneous article and adding, *”I’m going to Hollywood!!!”* followed by a cheeky *”Happy the 3 of us,”* referencing the Maluma song.

### The Impact
This viral moment highlights the lightning speed of modern misinformation. Within hours, a simple name match on a photo agency database can rewrite a celebrity’s life story. For Pedro Pascal fans, it’s another chapter in the actor’s lore—he’s so charismatic he can apparently date people who are already married and living on a different continent. For the Chilean Rafael Olarra, it was a brief, hilarious trip to Hollywood stardom, all without leaving Santiago.