Diego Luna, who was in Nike's World Cup promotional ads, shockingly left off USMNT roster

With the United States men’s nationalist team’s 26-man roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup confirmed connected Tuesday day astatine Pier 17 successful Manhattan, midfielder Diego Luna’s lack from Mauricio Pochettino’s squad is the astir glaring.

After all, helium was the centerpiece of galore promotional ads, including Nike’s, up of the tournament

When the roster was leaked by aggregate outlets implicit Memorial Day Weekend, Luna’s lack was among the biggest snubs considering his enactment with the squad and the information that galore believed him to beryllium a fastener to correspond the Stars and Stripes connected location ungraded this summer.

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Diego Luna of Real Salt Lake looks connected during the MLS lucifer against Houston Dynamo FC astatine America First Field successful Sandy, Utah, connected May 13, 2026. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

But Luna wasn’t among the midfielders listed, which was made authoritative connected Tuesday erstwhile helium wasn’t among the 26 men who walked retired connected the Pier 17 stage.

Meanwhile, Nike had utilized Luna arsenic a focal constituent of its kit launches, showcasing the jerseys that Team USA volition deterioration successful the World Cup. The caller kit went viral, particularly with Luna posting to his Instagram with a caption, "They ne'er program for the chaotic card. Espera lo inesperado."

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Luna, who could’ve besides chosen to play for Mexico owed to dual citizenship, is known to fans arsenic the chaotic card. He became a fan-favorite during the team’s 2025 Gold Cup run.

However, Pochettino, managing his archetypal World Cup with the USMNT, said backmost successful March that those players presently connected the roster during affable matches shouldn’t expect to beryllium successful the last 26 travel the summer.

"The players that contiguous are connected the roster, they cannot deliberation they are going to beryllium successful the last roster," helium said. "When we spell to Atlanta, possibly we tin instrumentality immoderate pictures, hole things for selling and things similar this, due to the fact that it is the past accidental to marque these types of things.

Diego Luna drives the shot during the 2nd fractional of the Gold Cup lucifer against Haiti astatine AT&T Stadium successful Arlington, Texas, connected June 22, 2025. The United States won the lucifer 2-1. (Shaun Clark/Getty Images)

It wasn’t that Luna wasn’t producing astatine the clip for the USMNT. He appeared successful 17 of 18 matches successful 2025, becoming a breakout subordinate arsenic helium scored 4 goals and tallied 3 assists implicit that time.

Luna, who plays for Real Salt Lake successful Major League Soccer, did endure a genu wounded during March’s planetary window. However, helium has played for his nine 7 times since past and astatine slightest 70 minutes successful six of those matches, making wellness a non-factor successful this case.

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But that planetary model is simply a important 1 for each prospective players wishing to marque their World Cup rosters, and possibly Luna’s lack contributed to Pochettino deciding connected a antithetic direction. Only the manager volition person the answers to wherefore Luna is disconnected the roster.

Other than Nike, Luna was besides featured successful Head & Shoulders ads arsenic good arsenic Panini, which included him among the featured players for their authoritative World Cup sticker collection.

Diego Luna of Real Salt Lake rushes the shot up the tract against Houston Dynamo FC during the 2nd fractional astatine America First Field successful Sandy, Utah, connected May 13, 2026. (Chris Gardner/NWSL)

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With Luna disconnected the roster, each eyes constituent to Gio Reyna, the 23-year-old from German nine Borussia Mönchengladbach, who galore judge was enactment successful spot of him. Reyna has acquisition playing implicit successful Europe, which ever carries value for the World Cup, and helium has a longer way grounds than Luna with the USMNT.

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