Laken Litman
Faculty Soccer & Soccer Analyst
Editor’s be aware: Diego Luna has two objectives for the U.S. within the Gold Cup semifinals. This story was initially revealed on Might 22.
Diego Luna wasn’t about to let a damaged nostril wreck his alternative.
Within the first quarter-hour of a United States males’s nationwide workforce pleasant in opposition to Costa Rica in January, Luna took an elbow to the face which broke his nostril. This coaching camp was his first underneath Mauricio Pochettino, who was employed because the USMNT’s head coach final September. Luna, with just one cap to his identify on the time, understood this was an enormous second to make an impression on a brand new teaching employees forward of two pivotal years: the USMNT can be competing within the Concacaf Nations League Finals and the 2025 Gold Cup earlier than co-hosting the 2026 World Cup.
So when the 21-year-old attacking midfielder ran over to the sideline with a bloody nostril, he pleaded with Pochettino to let him keep within the recreation.
(Photograph by Roy Ok Miller/ISI Photographs/USSF/Getty Photos for USSF)
“I may nonetheless run, I may nonetheless play soccer, I may nonetheless see, so I simply instructed them, ‘Not less than let me play till halftime after which I’ll come out,’ Luna not too long ago defined to FOX Sports activities.
The U.S. supervisor checked with workforce medical doctors, who stuffed Luna’s nostril with gauze and despatched him again onto the pitch. Moments later, Luna slipped a go to Brian White who scored the Individuals’ opening objective in a 3-0 victory.
Luna was subbed off at halftime and finally went to the hospital for surgical procedure. He grew to become a cult hero within the course of.
“Large balls,” Pochettino instructed the published post-game with a chuckle. “He confirmed nice character.”
Luna’s effort was rewarded when Pochettino referred to as him up for the Nations League Finals in March. His inclusion raised some eyebrows, particularly since Pochettino selected him over extra acquainted faces like Brenden Aaronson and Alex Zendejas. Luna hadn’t even made the principally U-23 roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics final summer time, however used that as motivation, and clearly Pochettino has appreciated what he’s seen.
Luna was a shiny spot for one more in any other case disappointing efficiency by the USMNT on the Nations League, the primary time in 4 editions that they had didn’t win it. He began and performed the complete 90 minutes in opposition to Canada within the third-match place and arrange the Individuals’ solely objective with a nifty help to Patrick Agyemang. Afterward, Pochettino singled Luna out whereas discussing upcoming roster choices he’ll should make.
“The need and the starvation that he confirmed is what we would like,” Pochettino mentioned. “And that’s not to say something in opposition to the remainder of the [team], it’s just one instance. Once I instructed him he was going to play, he was prepared. And after taking part in properly or not taking part in properly, scoring or helping or not, that’s what we need to see and that’s the instance for me that we have to take.”
“I may nonetheless run, I may nonetheless play soccer, I may nonetheless see.” — Diego Luna on taking part in with a damaged nostril
Luna is now a part of the USMNT‘s 27-player camp roster forward of this summer time’s Gold Cup, which is the final main match the squad will play in earlier than the 2026 World Cup. How a lot he’ll play, how he’ll match within the assault, and the place he stands amongst the competitors in his place is a query. Minutes-wise, Luna might profit from the truth that Gio Reyna is not going to be a part of the USMNT’s Gold Cup roster as a consequence of the truth that his membership, Borussia Dortmund, might be taking part within the FIFA Membership World Cup on the similar time. Tim Weah and Weston McKennie, who play for Juventus, face the identical battle.
Luna is in prime kind. His star is rising. And he’s a assured and inventive playmaker who has endeared himself to Pochettino. Now, he has an opportunity to change into the type of star the USMNT desperately must make a deep run this summer time – and presumably earn a roster spot for the 2026 World Cup.
“He’ll run by a wall to play soccer,” Actual Salt Lake coach Pablo Mastroeni, who has coached Luna since 2022, instructed FOX Sports activities. “I feel that toughness, and that grit, and talent to beat and persevere, I feel it’s a void that the nationwide workforce is trying to fill and I feel with Diego Luna, you’re all the time going to get a canine.”
Espresso and remedy: Luna’s path to the USMNT
Pochettino values toughness in gamers. He’s from Argentina and spent his managerial profession in Europe earlier than becoming a member of the USMNT. He expects gamers to battle, get again on protection and do no matter it takes to win.
These qualities could seem apparent at this degree, however not everybody has them. After an underwhelming displaying at Nations League in March – which included flat performances in losses to Panama and Canada – U.S. gamers had been closely criticized for being complacent and missing delight.
Luna was an exception, seemingly due partially to the unconventional path he’s taken to get so far. Luna left his household and his house in Sunnyvale, Calif. (the place he performed for the San Jose Earthquakes academy) at age 15 to hitch the Barcelona Residency Academy in Arizona. Three years later, he signed with El Paso Locomotive within the USL Championship earlier than becoming a member of RSL in 2022.
Luna needed to earn his spot there. Then 18 years outdated, he moved to a metropolis he’d by no means been to with none buddies or household. He felt misplaced. He wasn’t taking part in. He didn’t really feel a part of the group. In conversations with Mastroeni these early days, the coach instructed Luna that he was technical and gifted, however wanted to decide to defending and work each side of the ball. “He’d say, ‘You possibly can’t simply be an attacking participant. You’re not Messi,” Luna recalled.
Luna took all these irritating issues into his personal arms. For one, he labored on his defensive presence. It took a while, however now three years later, Mastroeni mentioned Luna has “greater than surpassed my expectations. He’s engaged defensively, however he’s additionally scanning defensively and he’s taking part in cat and mouse. He’s made that his personal craft and he’s actually, actually good at that.”
Second, Luna sought remedy to deal with psychological well being struggles that had been effervescent since he first moved away from house at a younger age. The burden of expectations – to attain objectives each recreation, to get referred to as as much as the nationwide workforce – created inner stress.
“Think about being a younger child and also you gotta dwell by yourself, earn money and ensure you’re performing as a result of if not, you don’t know the place you’re going to finish up or what’s going to occur subsequent,” Luna mentioned. “That’s powerful not having steering from your loved ones there with you each step.”
Luna mentioned he wished he’d began remedy sooner, however “as quickly as I dedicated, you could possibly see an automated [difference]. Inside per week, there was a change in mentality with [my] feelings and emotions and the way I felt internally, which allowed me to be free and mentally clear when acting on the sector. Remedy is a good device and I feel that’s one thing lots of people shouldn’t be afraid to do.”
Third, Luna discovered a method to overcome loneliness. As a result of he wasn’t taking part in a lot at first, he had extra free time on his arms. Quite than go house to an empty home after coaching, he determined to get a second job at a neighborhood Dutch Bros espresso store the place he thought he may be capable of make some buddies and work on his social abilities.
Not solely did he grasp whipping up an iced Golden Eagle – Dutch Bros’ hottest drink that is just like a caramel vanilla latte – however for the 9 months he labored there, Luna acquired higher at making eye contact with individuals and speaking.
Mastroeni can’t recall ever having a participant with a part-time job, particularly given the salaries present MLS gamers make, however it wasn’t concerning the cash for Luna. “It was nearly attending to know individuals on the town and feeling part of the group,” Mastroeni mentioned.
Forward of the 2023 season, Luna had stopped making espresso however continued his remedy (and nonetheless goes to today). He scored 5 objectives that season and labored his method into the beginning lineup. In 2024, by then an everyday RSL starter, Luna scored eight objectives, added 12 assists and was named an All-Star and MLS’ Younger Participant of the Yr. He’s been on a scorching streak in 2025, scoring seven objectives up to now, together with six within the final eight video games. On April 5, USMNT assistant coach Miki D’Agostino was within the crowd and noticed Luna bag a brace inside 5 minutes in a 2-0 win over the LA Galaxy.
“He’s not solely an incredible pupil of soccer, however he’s an incredible pupil of life and I feel he’s mature past his years,” Mastroeni mentioned. “He’s so pushed and he’s prepared to vary so as to obtain. His adaptability is thru the roof.
“And I feel that is all actually manifesting to be part of the 2026 [World Cup] workforce as a result of he’s dependable and he’s keen about his soccer. He defends, however not as a result of the coach asks him to. He defends as a result of now he actually enjoys defending and understands that if he does his job greater up the sector after we win the ball, he’s going to be in positions to do his factor in transition.”
‘A particular sort of participant’
Luna remains to be largely unknown to the informal U.S. Soccer fan, however his taking part in fashion has not gone unnoticed by a few of the different extra identified stars on the squad. And everyone all the time has the identical factor to say about him: that he brings one thing “completely different.”
“He’s an superior child, man. He brings a bit one thing completely different,” Christian Pulisic mentioned of Luna after taking part in with him through the Nations League matches. “He’s acquired coronary heart. I like the best way he performs and he’s acquired a giant future forward.”
Tyler Adams noticed one thing comparable.
“He’s a particular sort of participant,” Adams mentioned this spring. “I feel in right now’s recreation, these artistic gamers, you’re discovering much less and fewer of them. A No. 10 man that may play on the wing as properly. He simply offers one thing completely different to the workforce.”
Perhaps it’s his physique sort – Luna is barrel-chested and listed at 5’8″, 187 lbs. Perhaps it’s his eccentric look – he’s acquired quite a lot of tattoos from the neck down and all the time has a cool hair-do.
Perhaps it’s his technical means and the way he can beat guys one-v-one and mix out of tight areas. Or possibly it’s his fearlessness and dogged mentality.
“Thats simply in my DNA and the way I grew up,” Luna mentioned. “I used to be all the time taking part in up ages, all the time taking part in with greater, stronger, quicker children, all the time being pushed by my household, all the time having the ball at my ft. Soccer is in my blood. It’s what I dwell for.”
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For Mastroeni, it’s extra of this: “Once I was watching [the last USMNT match vs. Canada], as the sport started to type of wane and the blokes started to fatigue a bit bit, there was nonetheless one man on the market urgent the goalkeeper and getting after it. For me, ‘completely different’ is being labeled an attacking participant however having the grit and the need to need to work defensively for a workforce.”
This summer time, Luna may have one other prove-it alternative to showcase his expertise and additional cement himself into Pochettino’s 2026 World Cup plans. He’s not overthinking something, however as a substitute reminding himself to work “my butt off.”
“I’m simply having enjoyable,” Luna mentioned. “I’m working laborious, ensuring I’m doing what I must do on each side of the ball, after which let my creativity [flow] and categorical myself and that’s it. From there, issues can occur and that’s out of my management.”
Laken Litman covers school soccer, school basketball and soccer for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand wrote for Sports activities Illustrated, USA Immediately and The Indianapolis Star. She is the creator of “Robust Like a Lady,” revealed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX. Comply with her at @LakenLitman.
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