HERRIMAN, Utah (Friday, March 8, 2024) – Real Salt Lake has signed attacking midfielder Diego Luna to a long-term contract extension, RSL Sporting Director Kurt Schmid announced today. The five-year deal keeps the rising, up-and-coming attacker affectionately known “Moon Boy” with the Utah side guaranteed through the 2026 season, with Club options for 2027 and 2028.
Luna – who received his first-ever USMNT cap in January’s friendly with Slovenia in San Antonio and is on the preliminary USMNT rosters for both the Nations League and Olympic camps later this month – is now considered a U22 roster designation for RSL, joining Braian Ojeda and Nelson Palacio. RSL winger Andrés Gómez is moved into the “Young DP” slot, alongside Chicho Arango and newcomer Matt Crooks (TAM-able in MLS’ secondary window this summer).
“This new deal just shows that one gets rewarded for hard work and persistence. I’ve continued to buy into the club and buy into the team, you work hard and if good things happen, you get rewarded. This has been a smooth process and what has happened off the field is very genuine, both sides walked through everything, we made it very clear on what we’re looking for and what we want for the future, for me individually as my aspirations and dreams to play in Europe, so we made it very reasonable and fair for both parties. Good communication between myself and the Club and I just love what the RSL ownership and everyone has done to help me get into a better place.
Going into this season and those discussions about the future with the right mindset and knowing what I was worth and what I wanted was, was right. Overall, I think the club and the ownership did very well to make sure that I'm, happy and where I deserve to be at with what I've done at the club the last few years.
I've really enjoyed the time here. I think each year has gotten better, and we will continue to have that and grow with the team.
I want to be a staple for the team and I want to continue to provide for the team. So I think this year's gonna be a big year for us.
During my time here I've grown into more of an all-around player. My defensive side of the game has improved, and that's giving me the opportunity to be more free in the attack. With what Coach Pablo has been teaching me that idea and that kind of mindset, we are growing and improving every day.
I like to make sure I remember where I come from, staying hungry and humble and stuff like that is critical. There's times where you might not think you're doing well but subconsciously, under the surface that growth is happening. Staying in the right mindset and making sure you're doing your work on the field is the best way to help the team.
This season is going to be big for us. We're going to give it all and our mentality and our work rate is going to be the number one thing for us. On both sides of the ball, and that's going to create freedom for us to make ‘joyful football’ for people to watch.
So that's something that's going to be exciting for the fans. Be more creative and give the fans excitement. Always bringing something new to the game week-in and week-out is the goal.”
RSL playmaker Diego Luna emerged last season as a late-season talisman for the Claret-and-Cobalt, scoring critical goals in each of the final five 2023 matches – two MLS reg. season contests, providing the equalizers in both leg one and leg three of the Playoffs at Houston, and scoring the game-clinching PK in the leg two elimination match at home. Luna recently earned his first U.S. Men’s National Team appearance in the January friendly in San Antonio against Slovenia, starting and playing 77 minutes in the very same “free role” that he has made his own at RSL, drifting off left wing and combining centrally.
The 2024 season should be a big year for Luna on both “Club and Country” fronts, as the 20-year-old from the Bay Area is certain to expand is RSL role, now starting 24 of 28 games following his return from USYNT qualifying last summer. This year, Luna will have to juggle his Club obligations with potential U.S. Men’s National Team duty in March’s Nations League, perhaps even June’s Copa America and his almost certain Olympic Team leaderhip in July. The Paris Olympics schedule dovetails nicely with the Leagues Cup slate, minimizing Luna’s potential absences from MLS reg. season contests.
Last year, Luna’s goal scored in the first Playoff leg at Houston saw him find the back of the net for a third consecutive match, his late equalizer back on Oct. 14 at LA Galaxy starting the run which continued on Decision Day in Colorado with a late game-winner. That 54th-minute goal in Houston made Luna the youngest playoff goal-scorer in RSL history, usurping Yura Movsisyan by about 16 months. Luna’s accomplishment also made him the 12th-youngest player in MLS history to find the back of the net in the postseason. Luna then asked for the opportunity in the leg two home game to be the decisive fifth shooter against the Dynamo, envisioning and ultimately delivering the series-extending score.
Luna ended up with seven goals lasty year across all competitions in his first full season with RSL, the USA U-20 playmaker starting 21 of the Club’s last 25 games since returning from the FIFA Youth World Cup in Argentina. The USA U-20 playmaker acquired in May, 2022, from USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive was named the MLS Player of the Matchday for Matchday 26, courtesy of his brace in the 3-1 home RSL win over New York Red Bulls on July 15. Luna’s 2nd-minute goal in that game off a Savarino assist marked RSL’s quickest goal since March 2022 (Bobby Wood), while his eventual game-winner off an intricate give-and-go with Musovski made him the youngest player (19 years, 311 days) in RSL history to register a multi-goal goal (Olmes Garcia, June 2013 v LA Galaxy, 20 years, 282 days).
Last June 21 in St. Louis, Luna became the 98th player in RSL’s then-19-year history to find the back of the net in MLS reg. season action for the Claret-and-Cobalt, scoring in the 15th minute and assisting on goals in the 48th and 66th minutes … While he is only the 6th-youngest player to score for RSL, Luna did become the absolute youngest in Club annals to score and assist in the same MLS game, No. 599 all-time out of what is now 617 for the Utah-based side.
