When Diego Luna scored his first National Team goal last week in the Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinal against Costa Rica, he celebrated by pointing to the crest on his jersey, as he often does with Real Salt Lake over the last three Major League Soccer seasons.
Then, he doubled that USA contribution with a brace in Wednesday’s 2-1 semifinal win against Guatemala. Once again, the face of the Gold Cup took in the moment with a gesture to his jersey.
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino often underscores wanting to see players compete with pride for their country. Pochettino looks to Luna – citing his “big balls” in January, despite a shattered face - as a clear example of that.
In 2025, just one year from a World Cup held on North America soil, Luna leads the U.S. team in goal contributions, with three goals and four assists. He earned just his 11th cap in Wednesday's knockout win. The playmaker got his first call-up in the January 2024 development camp, but he’d have to wait a full year until he got another call-up and made his mark, earning a spot in the Concacaf Nations League roster in March, then as a starter in the ongoing Gold Cup.
“It’s that attitude, hunger, desire,” Pochettino said. “... [He’s] desperate to play for this shirt for the National Team, and that is why now he is at the level he’s shown.”
The 21-year-old caught the attention of many in a January friendly against Costa Rica when he continued to play after sustaining a broken nose. Cotton rolls stuffed up his nostrils to stop the blood didn’t keep Luna from competing. That image has become the embodiment of Luna’s grit and desire.
Captain Tim Ream said Luna is “not fazed by anything.” It’s a quality that the veteran defender hasn’t seen in a while, especially in a player as young as Luna. It’s also why, when the USA needed to set the tone early in the semifinal and match the energy of the crowd at Energizer Park — which was mostly cheering for the opposition — Luna was calm and composed. He bagged a brace in less than 15 minutes to swing the momentum toward the U.S. and lead the Americans to their semifinal win and 13th Gold Cup Final.
“He just has something about him,” Ream said. “That chip on his shoulder that was like, ‘This is me — unapologetically me. Get me the ball. I’m gonna make things happen.’ And let’s drag the rest of us into the fight and get after it. It’s just so nice to see.”
Like many other senior team players, Luna developed playing for U.S. Youth National Teams. He made a particular impact at the U-20 level, winning the U-20 Concacaf Championship in 2022. At the time, he was playing with USL Championship's EL Paso Locomotive, after he signed with the Division II team when he was 17 years old. Later that year, he caught MLS attention and transferred to Real Salt Lake, where he's called home for the last three years. Last week, he was one of seven USMNT players in this camp named to the MLS All-Star roster – the youngest RSL player to earn All-Star recognition in back-to-back years, and the first in a decade – and will have the chance to represent U.S. Soccer and Real Salt Lake at the MLS All-Star Game on July 23 in Austin.
Now, he’s shining at the highest level in Concacaf. He’ll have another chance to showcase his skill and be part of his first championship roster as the USMNT faces Mexico in the final at NRG Stadium in Houston on Sunday, July 6 (5 p.m. MT on FOX).
“It’s going to be about the energy and the grit that we have to really put in good performances,” Luna said of the final. “We have the capability to create chances and players that have the ability to do special things.”
But most of all, it’ll be about the words Pochettino echoed.
“I think it’s about the hunger and attitude going into this,” Luna said.
LOOKING AHEAD TO MEXICO
In the late hours Wednesday night – at least for those on the East Coast – soccer fans learned the opponent the United States will face in the upcoming Concacaf Gold Cup Final. It's one many people hoped for and circled on their Gold Cup bracket:
Mexico.
Mexico outlasted Honduras in the second semifinal match, setting up an inevitable, high-stakes clash between the United States and rival Mexico for the title.
Earlier in the night, the United States secured a berth in the final for the 13th time in program history. Led by an electric performance from 21-year-old Diego Luna, shining in this year's Gold Cup, the Americans went ahead two goals early and took care of business 2-1 against Guatemala.
The United States and Mexico have seen each other plenty in the history of the Gold Cup, meeting in the final eight times since the tournament began in 1991. Their most recent matchup came in 2021 when Miles Robinson delivered a header in extra time to shock Mexico and give the United States the country’s seventh Gold Cup trophy.
Together, the two nations have dominated the tournament. Only once has a country other than Mexico or the United States lifted the trophy – Canada in 2000. The United States and Mexico have combined to win 17 out of 18 possible Gold Cups.
Head coach Javier Aguirre’s team has the advantage, winning nine titles, two more than the U.S., and Mexico will look to defend their run as reigning champions.
Both teams reached this point winning their groups. Overall, the U.S. has arguably posted stronger results this tournament, getting through the group stage unbeaten, winning all three matches while conceding only one goal.
On the other side, Mexico had it a little tougher, ending the group stage tied with Costa Rica in points, but won the group on goal differential. Costa Rica, the second-place team out of Mexico’s Group A, went on to give the United States one of the most exhilarating matches of the tournament in a back-and-forth bout on June 29. The U.S. prevailed in a penalty kick shootout to advance to the semifinals.
To say that the history between the United States and Mexico is fierce would be an understatement. These are two programs with a lot of pride and also a lot to play for. Like the United States, Mexico will play host to the FIFA World Cup in 2026, along with North American neighbor Canada, and both teams have hopes of building toward their target of performing well with the world watching.
And at No. 17, Mexico will be the highest FIFA-ranked opponent the United States will face during this Gold Cup tournament. It’ll be the toughest test yet for a United States squad that is growing and developing, but one with a lot of momentum behind them.
Sunday will mark the latest chapter in the United States and Mexico rivalry as the pair meet in Houston's NRG Stadium to determine the winner of the 2025 Gold Cup. Despite having less than ideal preparations -- they both lost emphatically to Switzerland, with the U.S. being defeated by Turkey and El Tri beating them 1-0 -- the pair have navigated through this Concacaf competition.
The U.S. gained momentum as the tournament went on with a 5-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago, a 1-0 success over Saudi Arabia and a 2-1 victory over Haiti. This set up a quarterfinal date with Costa Rica, in which Mauricio Pochettino's side emerged after a sudden-death penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw. That resulted in a semifinal against Guatemala, with the U.S. prevailing 2-1.
Meanwhile, Mexico shrugged off a nervy 3-2 win over Dominican Republic with a 2-0 win over Suriname and a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica ahead of a 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals. From there, a Raúl Jiménez goal was enough to send Mexico into the final at Honduras' expense, bringing us to Sunday's epic encounter.
The U.S. hasn't been rotating much in the Gold Cup; how much will it have in the tank against Mexico?
Pochettino has done precious little rotation during the Gold Cup. Seven players have started every match, with another three in the XI for four of the five, including Diego Luna. When there was a week break between the group stage and the knockout rounds, Pochettino's lineup choices didn't raise too many concerns, but after a semifinal in which the U.S. had just 46% possession in the second half, it's worth asking if the USMNT is out of gas.
There is something to be said for lineup continuity, as it's clear chemistry has definitely been developed within the starting lineup this summer. But the U.S. figures to do plenty of chasing against a Mexico side that will likely have more of the ball, meaning the team's intensity levels will need to remain high.
It's one thing to make an impact against a side like Haiti or Saudi Arabia, but it's another to do the same against a historic rival such as Mexico in a packed house like will be encountered in Texas on Sunday. There's a noteworthy tenacity to attackers such as Malik Tillman and Diego Luna, who have combined for 10 goal contributions in the Gold Cup, and it wouldn't be much of a shock if either of them rose to the occasion in the same manner we've seen so far in this tournament.
Luna in particular seems to highlight that spirit that's needed in a tournament final. Days after applauding the "grit" and "determination" from his fellow teammates that's seen in his own game, the Real Salt Lake star appears perfectly suited for going toe-to-toe with Mexican marquee players who will have to be at their best when defending the winger.
The 26 players Javier Aguirre brought to the Gold Cup look like the base of the squad that will represent Mexico in the 2026 World Cup.
The Gold Cup is Aguirre's final big test before next summer, and the coach has been adamant that he has already defined between 50% and 60% of the squad that will go to the next World Cup. The remaining doubts relate to which player will play at right back and the players chosen to replace Luis Chávez, who is injured for up to eight months.
In the Gold Cup, Aguirre has found Johan Vásquez and César Montes to be his ideal center back pairing. In midfield, Edson Álvarez is the captain and automatic starter. In attack, the most important player is Raúl Jiménez, and he'll need to be at his best Sunday and next summer if El Tri is to live up to its potential.
Let's be clear: Aguirre's prestige or reputation is not at risk against the United States. The Mexico national team coach admitted that his team is the favorite to win the Gold Cup, but he always made it clear that his main objective is to prepare the team for the 2026 World Cup.
Aguirre opted for the Gold Cup to complete his final stress tests on the squad, and he still managed to lead Mexico to the final. The World Cup is his priority, so Aguirre's prestige is not at risk.
After the semifinal win over Guatemala, U.S. defender Tim Ream revealed how some players were shocked at how pro-Guatemala the crowd was and asked how this could happen in the United States. Ream's response? "This is the way it is. You have to embrace it."
Clearly, the U.S. team benefited from being exposed to this kind of atmosphere in the semi. It's not enough to tell a player how it will be -- they have to experience it for themselves. That's important, because the vibes on Sunday will be turned up to 11. The capacity of NRG Stadium (72,220) is more than three times that of Energizer Stadium (22,423) in St. Louis, site of the semifinal. And Mexico fans will have no compunction about making things as uncomfortable as possible for their longtime rival.
Successfully taking the sting out of the vociferous support for El Tri will require the U.S. to do a few things. The USMNT will need to stay organized, as Mexico fans have been known to turn on their team when things don't go according to plan. But more importantly, the U.S. needs to get enough possession to allow it to rest and make Mexico chase the game a bit. That doesn't mean the U.S. will need to win the possession battle -- it just needs to win it enough to help it manage the game.
