Diego Luna surely hoped to add to his 18 caps with the USMNT at the 2026 World Cup, but he won’t be able to suit up for the big event. The national team manager decided to leave him out, prioritizing the experience of players based overseas.
Despite Luna being a highly dangerous attacking midfielder who has bagged 26 goals in 103 appearances for Real Salt Lake, it wasn’t enough to earn a call-up from Mauricio Pochettino for the World Cup.
Luna has plenty of international experience. Fans have followed him since his U-20 national team days, where he scored five goals in 21 matches, and he already has four goals in his handful of appearances with the senior squad.
Can the U.S. survive without Diego Luna?
Yes, the U.S. has more than enough talent in the midfield. Most of the players in that part of the pitch are experienced veterans with plenty of European mileage. However, there are two MLS-based players on the roster: Cristian Roldan and Sebastian Berhalter.
Like Luna, the 25-year-old Berhalter has spent his entire career in MLS. But despite being three years older than the 22-year-old Luna, Berhalter has fewer national team appearances, just 13 caps and a single goal. It remains unclear what criteria Pochettino used to select him over Luna.
Roldan, a 31-year-old veteran midfielder, is the other player without experience in Europe or outside the United States. He has 47 caps with the senior team and has yet to score. He is best known for his long career with the Seattle Sounders since 2015, where he has been a mainstay in their midfield.
