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With the United States men’s national team’s 26-man roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup confirmed on Tuesday afternoon at Pier 17 in Manhattan, midfielder Diego Luna’s absence from Mauricio Pochettino’s squad is the most glaring.
After all, he was the centerpiece of numerous promotional ads, including Nike’s, ahead of the tournament
When the roster was leaked by multiple outlets over Memorial Day Weekend, Luna’s absence was among the biggest snubs considering his work with the team and the fact that many believed him to be a lock to represent the Stars and Stripes on home soil this summer.
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Diego Luna of Real Salt Lake looks on during the MLS match against Houston Dynamo FC at America First Field in Sandy, Utah, on May 13, 2026. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
But Luna wasn’t among the midfielders listed, which was made official on Tuesday when he wasn’t among the 26 men who walked out on the Pier 17 stage.
Meanwhile, Nike had used Luna as a focal point of its kit launches, showcasing the jerseys that Team USA will wear in the World Cup. The new kit went viral, especially with Luna posting to his Instagram with a caption, “They never plan for the wild card. Espera lo inesperado.”
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Luna, who could’ve also chosen to play for Mexico due to dual citizenship, is known to fans as the wild card. He became a fan-favorite during the team’s 2025 Gold Cup run.
However, Pochettino, managing his first World Cup with the USMNT, said back in March that those players currently on the roster during friendly matches shouldn’t expect to be in the final 26 come the summer.
“The players that today are on the roster, they cannot think they are going to be in the final roster,” he said. “When we go to Atlanta, maybe we can take some pictures, prepare things for marketing and things like this, because it is the last opportunity to make these types of things.
Diego Luna drives the ball during the second half of the Gold Cup match against Haiti at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on June 22, 2025. The United States won the match 2-1. (Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
It wasn’t that Luna wasn’t producing at the time for the USMNT. He appeared in 17 of 18 matches in 2025, becoming a breakout player as he scored four goals and tallied three assists over that time.
Luna, who plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer, did suffer a knee injury during March’s international window. However, he has played for his club seven times since then and at least 70 minutes in six of those matches, making health a non-factor in this case.
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But that international window is a crucial one for all prospective players wishing to make their World Cup rosters, and perhaps Luna’s absence contributed to Pochettino deciding on a different direction. Only the manager will have the answers to why Luna is off the roster.
Other than Nike, Luna was also featured in Head & Shoulders ads as well as Panini, which included him among the featured players for their official World Cup sticker collection.
Diego Luna of Real Salt Lake rushes the ball up the field against Houston Dynamo FC during the second half at America First Field in Sandy, Utah, on May 13, 2026. (Chris Gardner/NWSL)
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With Luna off the roster, all eyes point to Gio Reyna, the 23-year-old from German club Borussia Mönchengladbach, who many believe was put in place of him. Reyna has experience playing over in Europe, which always carries weight for the World Cup, and he has a longer track record than Luna with the USMNT.
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