The internet loves a good celebrity mystery, and this week, **Pedro Pascal** served one up on a silver platter. When paparazzi photos surfaced of the *The Last of Us* star strolling arm-in-arm through New York City with a handsome mystery man, social media detectives immediately went to work. The name they found? **Rafael Olarra**.

But here is where the story takes a hilarious, viral turn: fans thought Pascal was dating a legendary retired Chilean soccer player.

### The Case of Mistaken Identity
It all started over Valentine’s Day weekend in **February 2026**. TMZ and other outlets published photos of Pascal looking cozy in the Lower East Side with a man identified as Rafael Olarra.

Instantly, the name trended in South America. Why? Because to millions of sports fans, **Rafael Olarra** is a famous former defender for the Chilean national team and a current ESPN commentator.

Fans were baffled. *Was the Gladiator II star actually dating a retired footballer?*

### The Real Rafael Olarra (And the “Wrong” One)
The confusion stemmed from a classic name doppelgänger situation:

* **The “Footballer” Rafael:** A 47-year-old Chilean sports icon, happily married to model **Lucila Vit**, with whom he shares a child.
* **The “Art Director” Rafael:** The man *actually* in the photos is an Argentine creative director and artist. He is no stranger to the limelight, having previously dated actor **Luke Evans** from 2019 to 2021.

### “I Forgive You”: The Hilarious Response
Instead of issuing a boring denial, the *footballer* Rafael Olarra and his wife chose chaos. They leaned into the mix-up with absolute comedic gold.

Lucila Vit took to Instagram to “confront” her husband about his new Hollywood romance. Sharing a screenshot of the trending news, she wrote: **”I wake up finding out I’m trending for this news… So with Pedro Pascal? I forgive you @rafaolarra19.”**

The ex-footballer didn’t miss a beat, reposting the story with the caption **”I’m going to Hollywood!!!”** and jokingly adding, **”Happy the three of us.”**

### The Internet Reacts
This mix-up has become the feel-good viral moment of the week. It highlights how quickly misinformation spreads, but also how a good sense of humor can turn a rumor into a win. While Pedro Pascal has kept quiet (as he famously does with his private life), the *wrong* Rafael Olarra is enjoying his unexpected fifteen minutes of Hollywood fame—safely from his living room in Chile.