Both Real Salt Lake hopefuls left off USMNT World Cup roster

Utah's Diego Luna's name is not on the World Cup Roster for the USA. Photo: courtesy of Real Salt Lake // MLS

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was announced Tuesday in New York City, and to the disappointment of fans in Utah, neither of Real Salt Lake’s two hopefuls made the cut.

Midfielder Diego Luna and forward Zavier Gozo were both left off the 26-player squad selected by head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Luna, a 22-year-old California native in his fifth season with RSL, has been called a fan favorite and has been prominently featured in U.S. Soccer’s World Cup marketing. His omission has been widely described as a snub across the soccer media. Luna has earned 18 caps for the USMNT, including a 2024 MLS Young Player of the Year campaign that brought him into the national team picture.

Gozo, 19, was born in West Valley City and raised in Eagle Mountain. The RSL homegrown product has been one of the breakout players of the 2026 MLS season and was named to the provisional 55-player squad U.S. Soccer submitted to FIFA earlier this month. Though uncapped at the senior level, he had been mentioned as a possible inclusion in the final 26.

“We are confident this is the best group of 26 players to help us achieve success at the World Cup,” Pochettino said during the broadcast. “These were very difficult decisions, and we are thankful to all the players who were part of this journey. This group is very focused and ready to give everything they have to represent the United States and deliver performances that will make the fans and the country proud.”

The 2026 World Cup will be held June 11 through July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The U.S. opens Group D play against Paraguay on June 12 and will also face Australia and Türkiye.

On Monday, FIFA announced that Sandy would host a Training “Home away from home” for one European team during the World Cup.

Roster by the numbers:

• Players represent clubs in 10 countries: MLS (8), England (5), France (3), Germany (3), Italy (2), Netherlands (2), Mexico (1), Scotland (1), and Spain (1).
• U.S.-born players come from 12 states: New York (4), California (3), Pennsylvania (3), Texas (3), New Jersey (2), Alabama (1), Delaware (1), Florida (1), Illinois (1), Massachusetts (1), Missouri (1), and Ohio (1).
• Four players list hometowns in three foreign countries: England (2), Germany (1), and the Netherlands (1).