Soccer
Diego Luna woke up in a daze, unaware of his newfound US men’s national team cult-hero status.
Real Salt Lake‘s star midfielder had just gotten out of surgery to repair a broken nose sustained during a 3-0 friendly win over Costa Rica in January – a defining performance that was equal parts guts and talent, with the 21-year-old sporting gauze to stop the bleeding while he assisted Brian White‘s opening strike at Inter&Co Stadium.
“My family was there and my agents, and they were calling me ‘Big Balls’ and all this stuff,” Luna said in Off The Ball, the league’s new video feature series.
“It was hilarious. I thought my robe was showing or something.”
Little did Luna know, the moniker came from none other than USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who famously praised the 2024 MLS Young Player of the Year’s proverbial testicular fortitude during a memorable post-game interview.
“He meant that I was determined to play for my country, fighting through things and stuff like that,” Luna said. “It was super cool and I think it might’ve been the best decision of my life to continue to play with a broken nose, right?
“’Cause it’s shown people a side of me and it’s opened doors.”
Luna, who will look to open more doors at this summer’s 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup with the USMNT, discussed his rising profile, focus on mental health and love of body art – all while getting a new tattoo – in the premiere episode of Off The Ball.
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