Diego Luna, who was in Nike's World Cup promotional ads, shockingly left off USMNT roster

Christian Pulisic, Tim Ream and Mauricio Pochettino react to the United States' 2026 FIFA World Cup™ 26-Man Roster.

With the United States men’s national team’s 26-man roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup confirmed on Tuesday afternoon at Pier 17 in Manhattan, midfielder Diego Luna’s absence from Mauricio Pochettino’s squad is the most glaring.

After all, he was the centerpiece of numerous promotional ads, including Nike’s, ahead of the tournament

When the roster was leaked by multiple outlets over Memorial Day Weekend, Luna’s absence was among the biggest snubs considering his work with the team and the fact that many believed him to be a lock to represent the Stars and Stripes on home soil this summer.

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Diego Luna of Real Salt Lake looks on during the MLS match against Houston Dynamo FC at America First Field in Sandy, Utah, on May 13, 2026. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

But Luna wasn’t among the midfielders listed, which was made official on Tuesday when he wasn’t among the 26 men who walked out on the Pier 17 stage.

Meanwhile, Nike had used Luna as a focal point of its kit launches, showcasing the jerseys that Team USA will wear in the World Cup. The new kit went viral, especially with Luna posting to his Instagram with a caption, "They never plan for the wild card. Espera lo inesperado."

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Luna, who could’ve also chosen to play for Mexico due to dual citizenship, is known to fans as the wild card. He became a fan-favorite during the team’s 2025 Gold Cup run.

However, Pochettino, managing his first World Cup with the USMNT, said back in March that those players