While Diego Luna had been with the U.S. men`s national team before, a pivotal moment early in his journey involved breaking his nose during a match against Costa Rica. This seemingly negative event, where his nose was broken and bleeding heavily, unexpectedly became the starting point for the 21-year-old`s rapid transition from a relatively unknown international player to a consistent presence on the national team. Coach Mauricio Pochettino was particularly impressed.
`I was very surprised, because it was broke, you know?` Pochettino said in a post-match interview. `But I didn`t want to say nothing [with] too much drama, because [it might] scare him. I said, `How do you feel?` He said, `Please coach, let me keep playing, because at least after the half, I go out.` The doctor said, `Yeah, yeah, okay, you go in.` And the first action, assist, and we score. I said, big balls.`
Luna`s tenacious attitude, described by Pochettino as having `big balls`, is seen as a positive addition to a USMNT sometimes criticized for lacking competitive edge. This mentality quickly endeared him to Pochettino. His strong performances on the field have matched this spirit, positioning him arguably as the team`s most exciting rising star. With three goals and four assists in 11 national team appearances, including both goals in the crucial 2-1 Gold Cup semifinal win against Guatemala, Luna is now strongly positioned for a potential spot on the World Cup roster within the next year.
However, despite his rapid ascent this year, Luna`s path to becoming a significant player for the USMNT was not the conventional one.
An Unconventional Path
Many players on the current USMNT roster, who represent some of the most talented players the team has ever had, developed through traditional pipelines – elite academies (either in Europe like Christian Pulisic or the U.S. like Tyler Adams) leading to careers at top European clubs. Luna`s trajectory differs significantly. While he spent time in the San Jose Earthquakes system and a Barcelona residency in Arizona, his first professional contract was in the USL Championship with El Paso Locomotive in 2021. He moved to MLS with Real Salt Lake a year later and remains there. Luna is aware that his background is distinct from many of his national team peers.
`Not having my name be out there and not playing in Europe yet, stuff like that,` Luna said in March after his assist in the USMNT`s 2-1 loss to Canada in the Concacaf Nations League third-place match. `I think the route that I`ve taken is very different than a lot of players, from academy to USL to MLS to not playing and now starting and honestly, I think it`s been a different route and I`ve always got a chip on my shoulder.
`I think for me, it`s coming from a difficult background and having to fight for everything I`ve earned. I think it`s easy for me to say that I`m looking for more, working for more and to provide for my family, for my son, for my mom, dad, all these types of things so I think it`s just that and to be able to play for the crest. I don`t know what other motivation you need, right? I think it`s the biggest step in soccer to play for your country.`
Earning Pochettino`s Trust
Luna saw limited involvement under the previous coach, Gregg Berhalter, and was notably left off the U-23 squad for the previous summer`s Olympic Games, a decision that surprised some, like Utah governor Spencer Cox. He resisted opportunities that would keep him on the periphery, declining a chance to be an alternate for the Paris Olympics team and even mentioning openness to representing Mexico. However, winning Pochettino`s trust seems to have settled his international future. Many felt Luna was a natural fit for Pochettino`s vision of the USMNT due to his strong mentality, which is particularly valued when considering players eligible for more than one nation.
`If we really believe that a player can help us and can improve us, of course we are going to be 100 percent involved in that situation,` Pochettino said in a November press conference. `We don`t need to convince [players]. A player needs to want to play for the for the national team. I am Argentinian. I wanted to play for Argentina … it`s not because of a contract. It`s not because the possibility to play in Europe. No, I was desperate to defend my badge, my flag. We need to be careful. [There is] no need to convince a player. One player cannot be more important than the team or 300 million people. The player, if he`s an American player, needs to be desperate, needs to show that we need him. Because, if not, we are a weak federation.`
A Defining Year
Luna, originally from California, has played for the U.S. at various youth levels. His senior national team debut was in January 2024. However, he truly gained prominence only after the incident where he broke his nose and subsequently provided an assist earlier this year.
While such a performance is notable, it doesn`t always guarantee future success. Yet, opportunities continued for Luna. In March, he joined the full senior national team, including European-based players like Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Gio Reyna, for the Concacaf Nations League finals in Los Angeles. Injuries to other key players opened doors for Luna and others like Patrick Agyemang. Although the established players struggled in losses to Panama (1-0) and Canada (2-1), Luna was a standout, assisting Agyemang for the team`s only goal that week. He was seen as the sole positive aspect in an otherwise disappointing series of matches, earning praise from both Pochettino and his teammates.
`Diego Luna played well,` Pochettino said after the Canada match. `The desire and the [hunger] that he showed is what we want and that is not to say nothing against the rest of the people. It`s only one example. When I told [him] today, `You are going to play,` he was ready.`
Christian Pulisic echoed this sentiment.
`He`s an awesome kid, man,` Pulisic said. `He`s got a really bright future. You can see it today. He brings a little something different. He`s got heart and I love the way he plays and like I said, he`s got a big future ahead.`
The Gold Cup tournament that summer provided the chance to assess if Luna`s recent form was temporary or a sign of genuine star potential. With two pre-tournament friendlies and six matches leading to the final, there was ample time to evaluate his capabilities, especially given that the roster largely lacked the usual USMNT mainstays. Luna`s form, similar to the team`s overall performance, started slowly but improved, with results speaking for themselves. He contributed two goals and an assist in the knockout stage, demonstrating an ability to perform under pressure in big moments. His two early goals in the semifinal against Guatemala were particularly crucial, bailing out a defensively shaky U.S. performance, while Luna himself remained noticeably composed and confident.
Even before the Gold Cup final match in Houston and with the 2026 World Cup on home soil less than a year away, it is challenging to imagine the USMNT roster without Luna. While winning the continental trophy was the team`s immediate priority, Luna`s emergence alone makes Pochettino`s recent strategic experiments a success. At the very least, Luna`s rise has helped create something this version of the U.S. team sorely needed: a genuine sense of competition for spots.
