Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterOn June 6, 2024, San Diego FC announced the arrival of Hirving "Chucky" Lozano as the first Designated Player in club's history.The winger arrived for a fee of $12 million, signing a four-year deal with two option years.Signing a player of the international stature of Chucky Lozano is the biggest possible endorsement of our project in San Diego, said San Diego FC Owner and Chairman, Sir Mohamed Mansour.Article continues below You may like How MLS' big-name stars fared in the 2025 season Mexico World Cup 2026 squad: Javier Aguirre's latest selection ahead of the World Cup draw USMNT youngster with Olympic background vying for World Cup place Hirving Lozano in MLS: What's going on?His journey from Pachuca, Mexico to the world stage resonates with how Right to Dream provides opportunities for talent everywhere, and we hope that story can inspire and motivate the next generation of talent in San Diego and around the world, Mansour added.At the time, it seemed to be a statement signing for San Diego FC. After all, this was a player who had won the biggest prize in Mexico, Italy, and the Netherlands, having scored 76 goals and 43 assists in 267 appearances during his time at PSV Eindhoven and Napoli, as well as writing himself into El Tri folklore with his iconic winner vs. Germany at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.Hirving Lozano's time in MLS hasn't gone according to planLozano got off to a red-hot start in southern California, leading San Diego to a win at reigning champions LA Galaxy in their first-ever MLS match and assisting Anders Dreyer's opening goal.Zig-zagging through opponents, unleashing a cross or launching a rocket into the top bins, it seemed San Diego had struck gold.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.However, on October 4, Lozano was the protagonist of a heated locker room altercation with manager Mikey Varas, who had decided to sub him off at half-time.San Diego turned a 1-0 deficit around, prevailing 4-2 in Houston, but Varas didn't forget - or forgive - the petulance of his DP winger.Lozano was left out of their next two matchday rosters, including their maiden playoff game, before coming off the bench and scoring in their 2-2 draw and subsequent penalty shootout defeat at Portland. The next match, meanwhile, saw Lozano come off the bench in the 70th minute and assist the final goal in a 4-0 win. What to read next 'The Boy's A Bit Special' Dual-national Obed Vargas sets sights on world stage after remote upbringing Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in crisis after early Champions Cup elimination Who exactly is Ricardo Pepi? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout report First MLS Goal Two assists @sandiegofc win Have a day, @HirvingLozano70. pic.twitter.com/qxfBt95AB3April 6, 2025Despite his impressive contributions in the best-of-three series against Portland, Lozano would play just 16 minutes in their 1-0 win against Minnesota. And with San Diego falling to a 3-0 deficit at home in the Western Conference Finals, Lozano was introduced at half-time and scored a consolation against Vancouver.This would end up being his final appearance for San Diego, who, after finishing atop the Western Conference in their first-ever season, have continued to build on their momentum and currently rank fifth in the MLS Supporters' Shield standings. They've done so thanks to an all-Nordic front four of Dreyer, Amahl Pellegrino, Marcus Ingvartsen, and Onni Valakari.Reading between the lines, it appears Lozano's ego has clashed with San Diego's team-oriented setup.Sporting Director Tyler Heaps has said as much, stating in January: Hirving is a fantastic player, but I think this is about a lot more than that, when you talk about the collective here and making sure we have every player bought into what were trying to do, whether thats before training or during training.""We think its best for both parties to find a new solution. Were here to win. But whats really important is how we win and who we win with, making sure weve got the right pieces, making sure this is about the collective, making sure we come out and play as one."Varas, meanwhile, lamented, Holistically, all together, its not a fit.Heaps and Varas weren't the only ones to voice their displeasure at Lozano's demeanor. His younger brother Brayan stated to ESPN: At Napoli, he had problems with Gattuso and the coaching staff. At PSV he had them too. Hes rude and arrogant, and that leads nowhere.""That has influenced the fact that many people dont really want him. Even if he earns a lot in San Diego, its not worth having someone like that in the locker room. Very few teams would take the risk of signing him, knowing what has happened before.At 30 years-old, Lozano should still be in the prime of his career. Instead, he's training apart from his team and enjoying every bit of his reported $6m annual salary and the sunny California climate.Unless he finds a new club before Thursday's deadline, he will enter the 2026 FIFA World Cup without having played a single club match since November 29.TOPICSMLSWorld CupWorld Cup 2026Zach LowySocial Links NavigationZach Lowy is a freelance football writer who covers a wide range of football leagues from Serie A to the Premier League to Ligue 1. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Zach has interviewed a wide range of players and ex-players such as Sim�o Sabrosa, Louis Saha, Andrs Villas-Boas and Diego Forln. Over the past 6 and a half years, he has served as the co-creator of Breaking The Lines (@BTLVid on Twitter), the chief editor of the website and the main social media producer. Zach has also covered the Portuguese league on a consistent basis, interviewing players from various Primeira Liga clubs like Braga, Rio Ave, Famalic�o, Tondela, Estoril Praia and Arouca. He has traveled to Russia and France to cover the World Cup and Toulon Tournament, respectively.
