Diego Luna left off USMNT World Cup roster, Real Salt Lake midfielder cut in official squad reveal

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• 🔥 Quick Facts
• A Rising Star Meets World Cup Disappointment
• The Selection Criteria: European Pedigree Over Current Form
• Notable Snubs and Contrasting Selections
• RSL Manager Reacts: Mastroeni’s Frustration
• What This Decision Means for Luna’s International Future
• Will This Snub Define an Era of USMNT Selection Philosophy?
  • Sources

Diego Luna, the 2024 MLS Young Player of the Year, was excluded from Mauricio Pochettino’s official 26-man United States Men’s National Team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, announced earlier today, May 26, in New York City. The Real Salt Lake midfielder emerged as one of the tournament’s most notable omissions, disappointing fans and team officials who expected the 22-year-old attacking midfielder to represent the nation this summer.

A Rising Star Meets World Cup Disappointment

Luna’s absence marks a dramatic reversal for a player who had secured a place on the USMNT roster and was actively involved with the national team throughout 2025. His emergence as one of MLS’s brightest young talents came rapidly after joining Real Salt Lake in 2022. By the time he signed a long-term extension with the club in 2024, Luna had become integral to the team’s attacking play, demonstrating pace, vision, and creativity in the midfield. His 2024 Young Player of the Year award represented official recognition of his trajectory toward international stardom.

The Sunnyvale, California-born midfielder, whose parents immigrated from Michoacán, Mexico, had represented the USMNT with 18 appearances and 4 goals. He stood at 5’3″ with a compact, technical playing style that coaches valued. However, playing in MLS—while an advantage domestically—may have worked against him in Pochettino’s selection philosophy, which reportedly prioritized players with experience in top European leagues.

The Selection Criteria: European Pedigree Over Current Form

According to reporting from Yahoo Sports and other outlets, Pochettino‘s decision-making process valued European football experience and higher competitive levels above current performance levels. This strategic choice meant that established European-based players received preference, even if their club form was inconsistent. Luna, despite leading MLS in several attacking metrics, could not overcome this preference structure.

The timing proved particularly unfortunate. Luna sat out RSL’s match against Minnesota on Saturday, May 24, due to muscle tightness, potentially affecting late impressions from the coaching staff. Additionally, Luna never played for a European club, limiting his profile at the level Pochettino appeared to prioritize when making final roster decisions.

Notable Snubs and Contrasting Selections

Player	Position	Club	Status
Diego Luna	Midfielder/Winger	Real Salt Lake	LEFT OFF
Tanner Tessmann	Midfielder	Venezia (Italy)	LEFT OFF
Zavier Gozo	Defender	Real Salt Lake	LEFT OFF (Age 19)
Alejandro Zendejas	Winger	Tigres (Mexico)	INCLUDED
Ricardo Pepi	Forward	EL Paso Locomotive	INCLUDED
Gio Reyna	Midfielder	Borussia Dortmund	INCLUDED

The roster decisions sparked debate. Notably, both El Paso natives—Zendejas and Pepi—secured spots, while Luna did not. Zendejas plays for Tigres in Mexico, aligning with Pochettino’s European-level standard. Reyna, playing for Borussia Dortmund in Germany’s Bundesliga, clearly fit the preferred profile. Luna‘s MLS tenure, despite individual excellence, placed him outside this selection framework.

Among the most controversial exclusion alongside Luna was Tanner Tessmann, a midfielder currently with Venezia in Italy. Though Tessmann plays in Europe, he also fell short of Pochettino’s final criteria. Real Salt Lake’s other snub involved 19-year-old defender Zavier Gozo, making the club’s overall exclusion pattern particularly painful.

RSL Manager Reacts: Mastroeni’s Frustration

“I think in 2025, the national team leaned on him. That’s the reality of it. In this moment, when the chips were down, we needed him, and in 2025, our team needed him. I’m not making excuses, but I think that when the roster gets announced, there are things you don’t know.”

— Pablo Mastroeni, RSL Head Coach, (reported via KSL Sports)

Pablo Mastroeni, who coached Luna daily and understood his capabilities intimately, expressed bewilderment at the decision. Mastroeni’s comments underscored that Luna had been crucial to USMNT plans during 2025, making his sudden exclusion difficult to justify on purely performance-based grounds. The RSL manager’s perspective carried weight—coaches in direct contact with players daily often have clearer assessments than broader selection committees operating from distance.

Mastroeni acknowledged that world-class team decisions involve factors outsiders don’t see, but he clearly disagreed with the outcome. This reaction reflected frustration from MLS and RSL circles more broadly, where Luna’s omission was viewed as a rejection of domestic league excellence in favor of European pedigree alone.

What This Decision Means for Luna’s International Future

Luna’s exclusion raises important questions about his pathway forward. At 22, he remains young enough to feature in future USMNT cycles. However, the signal sent by Pochettino is clear: MLS based players, even those performing at elite levels domestically, will face structural disadvantages unless they gain European experience. For Luna, this could accelerate interest in a move abroad—precisely what Pochettino’s criteria seems designed to encourage.

The timing also matters. Luna was building momentum following his Young Player award and RSL‘s playoff success. Missing the World Cup at age 22 represents a lost opportunity that cannot be recovered. Future USMNT cycles will be more competitive, and Luna’s window, while not closed, has narrowed.

Some observers noted that Luna had previously turned down Mexico’s national team to focus on his club career and potential USMNT selection. That decision, made in good faith, now appears to have backfired. Had Luna pursued Mexico, or had European opportunities materialized, the 2026 World Cup calculus might have been different.

Will This Snub Define an Era of USMNT Selection Philosophy?

The Luna snub, alongside Tessmann’s exclusion and other notable omissions, suggests that Pochettino has implemented a clear strategy: prioritize Champions League experience, top-tier European leagues, and established international experience over emerging talents in domestic leagues. This approach differs from Gregg Berhalter’s previous philosophy, which was more inclusive of MLS performers.

Whether this strategy succeeds at the World Cup remains to be seen. European experience often correlates with tournament success, but MLS has consistently produced players who perform well internationally when given the opportunity. Luna’s exclusion suggests Pochettino believes the risk of omitting domestic stars is acceptable if it means fielding a more European-experienced squad. For MLS and Real Salt Lake specifically, this represents a philosophical rejection that extends beyond Luna alone.

As fans and analysts digest the 2026 roster over the coming weeks, Diego Luna’s absence will likely remain controversial. The young midfielder’s talent is undeniable, and Pochettino’s reasoning—while strategically coherent—feels incomplete to those who have watched Luna electrify MLS defenses throughout the season. fans attending World Cup matches in the US will be watching a squad shaped by Pochettino’s specific vision—one that has already generated as much debate as admiration.

Sources

• ESPN – “Reyna in, Tessmann out as USMNT names World Cup squad” (May 23-24, 2026)
• The Guardian – USMNT roster coverage, including Diego Luna exclusion details (May 25-26, 2026)
• Yahoo Sports – Analysis of Pochettino’s European experience prioritization (May 22-26, 2026)
• KSL Sports – Pablo Mastroeni’s reaction to Diego Luna snub (May 25, 2026)
• MLS/Real Salt Lake Official – Player statistics and club statements
• U.S. Soccer Official Website – USMNT roster announcement and player profiles