A Profile of Real Salt Lake’s Rising Star
The Call That Changed Everything
There’s a moment Diego Luna will never forget. It was 2021, and the 17-year-old was alone in his room in El Paso, curtains drawn against the Texas sun. He was gasping for air, fingers trembling as he dialed his brother Armando’s number.
“I’m having a panic attack,” he managed to say between sobs. “And I have no idea why.”
On the pitch, Luna was living the dream—a professional soccer player at an age when most teenagers are worrying about prom dates and homework. But behind closed doors, he was drowning. He would doomscroll for hours. Stare at walls while his mind spiraled. His friends called him “the vampire” because he rarely left his room.
Today, three years later, Diego Luna stands as the 2024 MLS Young Player of the Year, a U.S. Men’s National Team regular, and one of the most electric playmakers in Major League Soccer. But the journey from that dark room to the brightest lights of American soccer is a story of courage, vulnerability, and the transformative power of asking for help.
“I thought my problems were normal. I was never thinking, ‘Oh wow, my mental health really isn’t good.’ I had just always been like that.”
The Player: By The Numbers
Full Name: Diego Angel Luna
Born: September 7, 2003 — Sunnyvale, California
Position: Attacking Midfielder / Winger
Current Club: Real Salt Lake (MLS)
National Team: United States Men’s National Team
2024 Season Statistics
Luna’s breakout 2024 campaign was nothing short of spectacular:
Goals: 8
Assists: 12
Total Goal Contributions: 20 (2nd-most for RSL)
His 20 goal contributions made him just the second player in MLS history to achieve that mark before turning 21, joining Diego Rossi in elite company. He also became the first player 20 years old or younger to produce at least 10 assists in a single season since Talles Magno accomplished the feat in 2022.
The Journey: From Silicon Valley to Salt Lake
Luna’s soccer journey began at age five with the Palo Alto Soccer Club in California’s Silicon Valley. By 2015, he had joined the San Jose Earthquakes academy, where he competed in elite tournaments like the Dallas Cup and Generation Adidas Cup.
In 2018, Luna made a bold move—leaving the Earthquakes to join the Barcelona Residency Academy in Arizona. It was there, under the guidance of mentors like Gwen Brogley and Ged Quinn, that the young troublemaker learned discipline. “Whenever I misbehaved, they took away what I loved the most—soccer,” Luna recalls. “I had to put on my big boy pants.”
At 17, he signed his first professional contract with El Paso Locomotive in the USL Championship. And in June 2022, Real Salt Lake acquired him in a USL-record $250,000 transfer—a bargain that would prove to be one of the shrewdest moves in recent MLS history.
The Breakthrough: Coffee, Therapy, and Finding Joy
When Luna arrived in Salt Lake, the loneliness intensified. Living alone for the first time, the isolation led him to push away the very people he loved. Phone calls home became less frequent. Text conversations turned into one-word replies.
In a move that surprised even himself, Luna took a part-time job at Dutch Bros Coffee. For nine months, the professional soccer player served espressos and cappuccinos, learning to make eye contact with strangers and hold simple conversations. “I’m super glad I did it,” he says now.
But the real transformation came in early 2024, when his mental health began affecting his performance on the pitch. His brother Armando finally convinced him to try therapy.
“The emotions I’d bottled up for 20 years all came out in one hour. And never once did she go, ‘Huh, that’s interesting.’ She said, ‘Diego, I hear you. I understand you.'”
Six days after his first therapy session, Luna scored his first goal of the season. The fog had lifted. The air felt fresher. His feet felt lighter.
“I was having fun again,” he says.
The Honors: A Star Is Born
2024 MLS Young Player of the Year — The first Real Salt Lake player to win the award in its current format, beating out finalists Diego Gomez and Cristian Olivera
2024 MLS All-Star — Selected as the youngest player on the MLS All-Star roster that faced Liga MX
2024 Utah Professional Male Athlete of the Year — Recognized by the Utah Sports Commission for his outstanding season
2025 Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award — Honored for his dedication to driving positive change in communities, resulting in a $50,000 contribution to Primary Promise, a mental health facility for Utah’s youth
CONCACAF U-20 Championship Winner (2022) — Helped the U.S. qualify for both the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics
Under Luna’s influence, Real Salt Lake achieved a club-record 59 points in 2024—the franchise’s best output in 20 seasons—and qualified for the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup.
The Father: Growing Up at 19
In the midst of his struggles, Luna became a father at 19. His son, Manolo, turned two earlier this year, and fatherhood has become one of his greatest motivations.
“As a dad, you can’t be angry all the time,” Luna reflects. “You can’t lock yourself in your room all day. Your highs and lows can’t be extreme. You have to be the rock for your family.”
Therapy has helped him become the father he wanted to be—patient, present, and full of love.
The Message: Open the Door
Luna has become one of soccer’s most vocal advocates for mental health awareness, particularly among young people. His message is simple but powerful.
“Getting help is the brave thing to do. It’s facing your own issues. It’s confronting your deepest fears and traumas. It’s being vulnerable and open with someone you’ve just met. It’s taking responsibility for your behavior.”
He’s continued his therapy journey for over 18 months now. Some anxiety doesn’t go away—even after 50 appointments. He’s still discovering things he didn’t know were there. But he’s found tools to cope: meditation for a calmer mind, journaling to release worries, affirmations to stay grounded.
“Without therapy, I might be one of those names that make people go, ‘Ah yeah, Diego Luna… What happened to him?'” he admits.
The Future: Brighter Than the Moon
At just 21, Diego Luna is a U.S. Men’s National Team regular under coach Mauricio Pochettino, a franchise cornerstone for Real Salt Lake, and an inspiration to young athletes everywhere. His nickname “Moon Boy” has taken on new meaning—a reminder that even in the darkest nights, light eventually returns.
He signed a long-term contract extension with RSL in March 2024, cementing his commitment to the club and city that helped him find himself. European clubs have taken notice, but for now, Luna is focused on continuing his growth in MLS and with the national team.
His message to every kid sitting alone in the dark, curtains drawn, feeling like no one understands?
“Open the door. Get out of the darkness. You don’t have to do this alone.”
Diego Luna found his light. And in doing so, he’s helping others find theirs too.
