ไทย
English
中國人
Eight years after Hirving "Chucky" Lozano became a Mexico national team legend with his iconic goal against Germany, the explosive winger has reportedly chosen not to make himself available for Javier Aguirre's El Tri 2026 World Cup squad, preferring to hold onto his hefty contract with San Diego FC.
Lozano has not featured for a single minute since San Diego's exit from the MLS Cup playoffs on Nov. 29, 2025. After becoming the club's inaugural Designated Player signing ahead of their first season in Major League Soccer, El Chucky's relationship with head coach Mikey Varas and the club's sporting hierarchy completely broke down.
San Diego confirmed that Lozano would have no role in the team's plans for the 2026 campaign. However, with his contract running through the end of 2028 and as one of MLS's top earners, El Chucky refused to budge.
Even with the knowledge that he would be excluded from the first team and barred from playing in 2026, Lozano rejected a mutual contract termination, choosing instead to train independently while continuing to pocket his enormous paycheck.
Highest Player Salaries in MLS
Player | Team | Base Salary | Guaranteed Comp. |
|---|---|---|---|
Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | $12,000,000 | $20,446,667 |
Son Heung-min | LAFC | $10,368,750 | $11,152,852 |
Miguel Almirón | Atlanta United | $6,056,000 | $7,871,000 |
Hirving Lozano | San Diego FC | $6,000,000 | $7,633,333 |
Emil Forsberg | Red Bull New York | $5,405,000 | $6,035,625 |
Accurate as of Oct. 1, 2025, via MLS Players Association
Javier Aguirre Encouraged Lozano to Leave San Diego
Lozano's choice carries consequences that reach well beyond San Diego. His stance also affected El Tri, where El Chucky had appeared set to participate in his third World Cup.
Aguirre welcomed El Chucky back into the national team fold after more than a year on the outside during the September 2025 international break. Lozano went on to appear in the final three squads of the year, and with his playing time on the rise, he seemed destined to remain a key figure going forward.
But the San Diego situation changed everything. TUDN reports that Aguirre spoke directly with Lozano earlier this year, urging him to find a new club where he could get regular playing time. El Vasco was strongly considering Lozano for Mexico's 2026 World Cup squad, but only if he was playing regularly in the months ahead of the tournament.
The 30-year-old winger did not comply with his coach's wishes, however, and failed to secure a transfer before the MLS transfer window closed in late March — though not for a lack of available options.
Lozano Turned Down Move to La Liga
San Diego's decision to cut Lozano from their 2026 plans became public in the early days of the new year. With the January transfer window open, La Liga club Real Oviedo presented El Chucky with a potential way out.
Oviedo is part of Grupo Pachuca, the same ownership group that controls Liga MX club Pachuca, where Lozano launched his professional career and spent his first three seasons before departing for PSV Eindhoven in 2017.
The ownership group's push to bring Lozano to Spain could have worked out well for both sides. Lozano would have returned to European football and gained consistent minutes ahead of the World Cup, while the struggling Spanish club would have secured a quality addition in their fight against relegation.
However, Oviedo's inability to come anywhere near the wages Lozano commands at San Diego ultimately meant the player never gave the move serious thought, according to TUDN.
Hirving Lozano Chose Salary Over 2026 World Cup
At the start of the year, it seemed virtually certain that Lozano would be suiting up for El Tri at the 2026 World Cup. Three and a half months later, that prospect could not feel more distant.
Disciplinary problems have followed Lozano throughout his career and are once again at the heart of the player's troubled circumstances.
Yet despite having chances to rescue his World Cup aspirations and even after receiving direct counsel from Aguirre, the appeal of a $7,633,333 annual salary proved more compelling to Lozano than the prospect of competing in his third World Cup.
In the end, Lozano walked away from his World Cup ambitions in exchange for the financial security he fought hard to preserve. While it's easy to pass judgment from the outside, it is ultimately a situation of his own making.
Eight years after Lozano cut inside on Mesut Özil and fired past Manuel Neuer to spark Mexico's greatest World Cup upset in history, the once-beloved El Tri icon appears to have brought his participation in football's grandest stage to a quiet and unceremonious close.