The USMNT midfielder has found the spotlight for RSL, and he continues to shine with goals and assists for the MLS club
Pablo Mastroeni isn't easily impressed, and he doesn't cut slack even to those who do catch his eye. There's no superstar treatment at Real Salt Lake, no leeway. The expectations are laid down for everyone equally, from the highest-paid player to newcomers.
Praise from Mastroeni doesn't come cheaply; it has to be earned – and not just by goals or assists, and definitely not with fancy flicks or highlight-reel skills. Effort, energy, commitment – these are the currencies that buy smiles from Mastroeni.
It's what makes what the RSL boss says about Diego Luna all the more pertinent. Fans and pundits have labeled Luna a rising star, one who could make a huge impact both in MLS and with the U.S. men's national team. You can count Mastroeni among the believers, as well.
“I don't think we can talk about Diego developing anymore. He's the guy," Mastroeni told reporters after Luna's two-goal performance in RSL's win over San Diego FC. "He's the guy that plays with the chip on his shoulder. He's one of our best defenders. He's obviously the guy that's putting the ball in the back of the net. He's doing it all for our group."
For those who have followed Luna, his white-hot start to the MLS season isn't a surprise. His breakout, in truth, happened last season, when he won MLS' Young Player of the Year award before riding that wave right into a USMNT opportunity. Luna hasn't looked back. His game has continued to advance.
"For me, it doesn't change what I'm doing on the daily or what I'm trying to do for myself and the career I'm trying to build for myself," Luna said of Mastroeni's praise. "He's my coach, so, of course, he's up there, right? But it's just like anyone else talking or anyone else saying something."
Luna may not be changing, but the expectations and perceptions of him sure are as he continues to shine. If he's already become "the guy," how far can Luna really go from here?
Getty ImagesThe breakout
The midfield wizard affectionately known as "Moon Boy" made his Real Salt Lake debut in 2022. He scored seven goals in all competitions in 2023. But 2024? That was a different type of year. That was the definition of a breakout season.
By the end, Luna had helped lead RSL to the postseason behind eight goals and 12 assists, earning himself Young Player of the Year and MLS All-Star recognition. Luna hadn't just established himself as a top young player in MLS; he'd quickly become one of the top players in general. Few players in the league were creating at his level and, in his mind, he was just getting started.
"A lot of people outside or in the media, they made this year seem like an amazing year for me, and that I was unreal," he told GOAL.. "There's so much more than I can do. I believe that this was average for myself. This is the baseline. I think that I should be scoring 10 goals a season easily. That's the type of standard that I have for myself.
"I need to be better this year, and there were a lot of moments where I could have been better, and that's what I'm striving for. That's the type of mentality that I have, because it's not good enough. I always want more. I always want more goals, more assists."
It's all translated to the USMNT, too. Luna famously earned a "big balls" compliment for Mauricio Pochettino in January after providing an assist as blood poured down from his broken nose. He stepped back into the spotlight during the team's CONCACAF Nations League run, setting up Patrick Agyemang for a goal in the third-place game against Canada.
Many of the USMNT's top stars were criticized for a perceived lack of effort and energy in those two matches. Not Luna, though. His effort and skillset were on full display.
"That's just my style of play, right?" Luna told GOALafter the match. "I like to be creative. That's what's gotten me here. I'm not the tallest, not the fastest, not the strongest, right, but it's the creativity and the risk-taking that's gotten me here."
The 21-year-old's creativity remains on full display in MLS, where he's established himself as an MVP contender early on in the season.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTaking responsibility at RSL
Heading into this 2025 MLS season, Luna knew all eyes would be on him, and it's not just because of his achievements last campaign. RSL's roster decisions sent a clear message: Luna was going to be the focal point this season.
Striker Chicho Arango was sent to San Jose, which meant RSL was losing one of the league's more consistent goalscorers. Winger Andrerson Julio was gone, too, as he was traded to FC Dallas. The club, meanwhile, pursued striker Robert Bozenik right up until the deadline, only to see that fall through due to reasons outside of their control. In the end, the club ended up bringing in a pair of veterans, Willy Agada and Johnny Russell, to help to fill the gaps.
Even before transfer season really got going, though, Luna admitted there were new pressures on him.
"You don't sugarcoat these things," Luna told GOAL. "Like there is pressure there, that's what it is, that's how life is, that's what this job is. For me, it's exciting, it's something that you like. That's the type of sh*t that I want. I want to be this guy that people are relying on and make them know they're right."
Luna's response has been just about perfect.
Even with that Nations League trip in the middle of it all, Luna already has five goals and two assists in the first nine games of the MLS season. The goals have come in bunches, too, as he scored twice each in wins over San Diego and the LA Galaxy. In total, Luna has contributed to seven of his club's 11 goals on the season, showing just how influential he is as a creative force.
It's not just goals and assists, though. There's more to Luna's breakout.
Getty ImagesThe little things
Luna is a No. 10 at heart. He loves creating and making things happen. He loves the feeling of doing something wild, something that makes fans get out of their seats.
But, early on in his young career, he realized that the role of a No. 10 has changed. In many ways, players in that position also need to be the first line of defense. They need to be willing to do the work that everyone else around them does, too.
"It makes the team stronger mentally because it just allows everybody to trust each other," Luna said, "and it gives trust in me and gets me the ball, more people are enjoying playing with me more. It's a bunch of things."
Luna's defensive work and, as importantly, overall effort is what has earned the praise from his coaches.
"The hunger that he shows is what we want," Pochettino said after Nations League, "and that's not to say anything against the rest of the players. It's just an example. When I told him that he was going to play, he was ready. Whether you're playing well or not well, scoring, assisting or not, that is what we want to see. That is the example that we need to take."
That praise has been echoed by Mastroeni, who continues to drive home the point that Luna is doing more than just assisting.
"I think what Diego has been able to do year after year has been to really dig deep and continue to reinvent himself," Mastroeni told FOX13. "He came here as a really technical player; now he's very much a cerebral player with a lot of bite. These players are rare, especially when you have the type of play that Diego has. I couldn't be more proud of his growth and his commitment to his craft. The sky is the ceiling for him."
IMAGNLooking ahead
Luna's life is already starting to change. The "Moon Boy" label has been shed as fans are now calling him "Moon Man", illustrating how much he's grown. Off the field, the recognition is coming, as are the opportunities. Luna recently met both Travis Scott and, some would say, the other Diego Luna, star of the Star Wars series Andor. With success comes attention, and the attention of American soccer is all on Luna right now.
Those overseas would be mistaken to not keep their eye on him, too. European clubs are surely taking notice, but Luna doesn't really care about any of that at the moment.
“For me, it’s all just talks and whatever. I always tell my agents and people around me that I don’t want to hear anything about what’s going on unless I have to make a decision,” Luna told . “Unless it’s something where it’s right there, at that moment and we need to look in this deep, I try to tell them to keep that stuff away from me because it’s all just talk and, as you know there’s people that talk good, talk bad and it’s everywhere so I kinda like to stay away from that.
“ I think for me it’s just naturally just chilling, playing soccer and working hard, providing for my family and whatever comes from that and whatever comes from performing, we’ll talk about it.”
A World Cup is around the corner. A Gold Cup is coming before that. There are big games and big moments ahead for RSL, too, as the club counts on Luna to be, again, "the guy" for their team. It's a role that Luna is settling into perfectly as he continues to seize opportunity after opportunity.