Diego Luna is the hero American soccer needs right now
Real Salt Lake's 21-year-old rising star had another breakout game Wednesday, scoring a brace in the United States' 2-1 win over Guatemala in the Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals.
Diego Luna is a man on a mission, one to send U.S. Soccer to the moon.
The 21-year-old rising star with Real Salt Lake bagged his first senior international brace with two goals in the first 15 minutes of the United States’ 2-1 win over Guatemala in the semifinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in front of a sellout crowd of 22,435 fans at Energizer Park in St. Louis.
Luna, whose seven goal contributions leads the United States in the 2025 calendar year, is the fourth USMNT player age 21 years or younger to bag a brace in the Gold Cup, joining Christian Pulisic, Daryl Dike and Landon Donovan — who called Luna’s story among the best in U.S. Soccer on FOX’s post-match coverage Wednesday night.
“Three years ago, Diego Luna was playing in the USL,” Donovan said from the FOX desk. “Today, he pushed his team to a Gold Cup final. Incredible story; could not be happier for that young man.”
Born in Sunnyvale, California to Mexican parents, Luna — who was eligible to represent both the United States and Mexico before — joined the San Jose Earthquakes’ academy system in 2015 before signing his first professional contract with El Paso Locomotive in USL Championship at just 16 years old.
After scoring 13 goals in 42 matches, he joined Real Salt Lake on a then-league record transfer fee of $250,000 — and has watched his stardom soar since then. He’s already matched his career-high eight goals (to go with four assists) with RSL in 2025, even while juggling international duty, a reigning run as MLS Young Player of the Year and a talisman-like worth ethos that led to an MLS All-Star nomination this summer.
Call it the Summer of Luna. Or just call it a rising standout who is putting himself in strong contention to make Mauricio Pochettino’s World Cup roster in 2026.
Many would say the decision has already been made. Welcome to the World Cup, Diego Luna.
His national team manager has been enamored with his play, at least.
"(Luna’s) attitude, hunger, desire, everything, and then for sure, the talent will appear. But that is what we expect from our athletes, that's what we want," Pochettino said after Wednesdays’ match, per ESPN.
"Diego was a good example from January,” he added, “how he is desperate to play for this shirt, for the national team and that is why now he's in the level that he showed."
The United States will play archrival Mexico in the Gold Cup final Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston, which means Luna will miss another RSL match Saturday against St. Louis City (7:30 p.m. MDT, MLS Season Pass).
It hardly matters to Salt Lake fans, who are enjoying the level of international stardom brought on by two young players within the Utah soccer ecosystem — Luna, and Utah Royals FC standout Ally Sentnor, who is likewise breaking into the U.S. senior women’s national team.
With a chance to make a bold statement in a U.S. co-hosted World Cup in 2026, Luna is seizing every opportunity imaginable. With his creativity on full display and the well-earned ear of his manager, the moon hardly seems like a fitting ceiling for the man called Moon Boy from a young age. He’ll likely be bound for Europe, possibly sooner than later, even.
But right now, he’s already flying among the stars — and living his dream.
“It’s an honor, and I’m extremely grateful,” Luna told FOX Sports’ Jenny Taft. “I think every single one of these players think about it the same way I do: this is the No. 1 dream we’ve had as a kid, and we’re going to fight for as many chances to wear it as we can.”