Diego Luna wasn’t about to let a damaged nostril spoil his alternative.
Within the first quarter-hour of a United States males’s nationwide staff pleasant towards Costa Rica in January, Luna took an elbow to the face which broke his nostril. This coaching camp was his first beneath Mauricio Pochettino, who was employed because the USMNT’s head coach final September. Luna, with just one cap to his title 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 could 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.
“I might nonetheless run, I might nonetheless play soccer, I might nonetheless see, so I simply advised them, ‘A minimum of let me play till halftime after which I’ll come out,’ Luna lately defined to FOX Sports activities.
The U.S. supervisor checked with staff docs, 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 aim 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 advised the published post-game with a chuckle. “He confirmed nice character.”
Luna’s effort was rewarded when Pochettino known 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 largely 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 brilliant spot for an additional in any other case disappointing efficiency by the USMNT on the Nations League, the primary time in 4 editions they’d didn’t win it. He began and performed the complete 90 minutes towards Canada within the third-match place and arrange the Individuals’ solely aim with a nifty help to Patrick Agyemang. Afterward, Pochettino singled Luna out whereas discussing upcoming roster selections he’ll should make.
“The will and the starvation that he confirmed is what we wish,” Pochettino stated. “And that isn’t to say something towards the remainder of the [team], it’s just one instance. Once I advised him he was going to play, he was prepared. And after taking part in effectively or not taking part in effectively, scoring or aiding or not, that’s what we need to see and that’s the instance for me that we have to take.”
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Now, it’s the eve of the following U.S. roster drop – this one for the summer time’s Gold Cup – and Luna is predicted to be on it. That is additionally 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 because of the truth that his membership, Borussia Dortmund, will probably be taking part within the FIFA Membership World Cup on the identical 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 artistic playmaker who has endeared himself to Pochettino. Now, he has an opportunity to turn out to be the sort 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 via a wall to play soccer,” Actual Salt Lake coach Pablo Mastroeni, who has coached Luna since 2022, advised FOX Sports activities. “I feel that toughness, and that grit, and skill to beat and persevere, I feel it’s a void that the nationwide staff is seeking 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 stage, however not everybody has them. After an underwhelming exhibiting 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 satisfaction.
Luna was an exception, probably due partly to the unconventional path he’s taken to get so far. Luna left his household and his residence 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 associates 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 advised Luna that he was technical and proficient, however wanted to decide to defending and work each side of the ball. “He’d say, ‘You’ll be able to’t simply be an attacking participant. You’re not Messi,” Luna recalled.
Luna took all these irritating issues into his personal fingers. For one, he labored on his defensive presence. It took a while, however now three years later, Mastroeni stated 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 handle psychological well being struggles that had been effervescent since he first moved away from residence at a younger age. The load of expectations – to attain targets each recreation, to get known as as much as the nationwide staff – created inside stress.
“Think about being a younger child and also you gotta dwell by yourself, become profitable 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 stated. “That’s robust not having steerage from your loved ones there with you each step.”
Luna stated he wished he’d began remedy sooner, however “as quickly as I dedicated, you might see an computerized [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 instrument 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 fingers. Moderately than go residence to an empty home after coaching, he determined to get a second job at an area Dutch Bros espresso store the place he thought he would possibly have the ability to make some associates and work on his social abilities.
Not solely did he grasp whipping up an iced Golden Eagle – Dutch Bros’ hottest drink that is much like a caramel vanilla latte – however for the 9 months he labored there, Luna acquired higher at making eye contact with folks 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 in regards to the cash for Luna. “It was nearly attending to know folks on the town and feeling part of the group,” Mastroeni stated.
Forward of the 2023 season, Luna had stopped making espresso however continued his remedy (and nonetheless goes to this present day). He scored 5 targets that season and labored his method into the beginning lineup. In 2024, by then a daily RSL starter, Luna scored eight targets, added 12 assists and was named an All-Star and MLS’ Younger Participant of the Yr. He’s been on a sizzling streak in 2025, scoring seven targets 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 important scholar of soccer, however he’s an important scholar of life and I feel he’s mature past his years,” Mastroeni stated. “He’s so pushed and he’s keen to vary with a view to obtain. His adaptability is thru the roof.
“And I feel that is all actually manifesting to be part of the 2026 [World Cup] staff as a result of he’s dependable and he’s captivated with 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 larger up the sector once 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 type has not gone unnoticed by among the different extra identified stars on the squad. And all people all the time has the identical factor to say about him: that he brings one thing “totally different.”
“He’s an superior child, man. He brings a bit of one thing totally different,” Christian Pulisic stated of Luna after taking part in with him throughout the Nations League matches. “He’s acquired coronary heart. I like the way in which he performs and he’s acquired a giant future forward.”
Tyler Adams noticed one thing related.
“He’s a particular sort of participant,” Adams stated this spring. “I feel in at this time’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 effectively. He simply provides one thing totally different to the staff.”
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 numerous tattoos from the neck down and all the time has a cool hair-do.
Perhaps it’s his technical skill and the way he can beat guys one-v-one and mix out of tight areas. Or perhaps it’s his fearlessness and dogged mentality.
“Thats simply in my DNA and the way I grew up,” Luna stated. “I used to be all the time taking part in up ages, all the time taking part in with greater, stronger, sooner youngsters, all the time being pushed by my household, all the time having the ball at my toes. 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 sort of wane and the fellows started to fatigue a bit of bit, there was nonetheless one man on the market urgent the goalkeeper and getting after it. For me, ‘totally different’ is being labeled an attacking participant however having the grit and the need to need to work defensively for a staff.”
This summer time, Luna can 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 an alternative reminding himself to work “my butt off.”
“I’m simply having enjoyable,” Luna stated. “I’m working exhausting, 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 faculty soccer, faculty basketball and soccer for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand wrote for Sports activities Illustrated, USA At this time and The Indianapolis Star. She is the writer of “Robust Like a Lady,” printed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX. Observe her at @LakenLitman.
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