After weeks of speculation San Diego's newest team finally made the splash many expected -- and it's one that is sure to have a ripple effect on both sides of the border.
San Diego FC has signed Mexican star winger Hirving "Chucky" Lozano to a four-year contract, keeping him with the newest MLS club through 2028. Lozano will remain with his current club, PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, through the end of the year.
Lozano is the team's first Designated Player. Major League Soccer reserves that designation for high-priced stars whose lofty salaries do not count against the club's salary cap. According to ESPN, Lozano's salary will be in the range of seven to nine million -- making him one of the highest-paid players in the league.
“It’s an honor to join San Diego FC as the Club’s first Designated Player,” said Lozano in the club's announcement. “It’s exciting to be part of history as we build a Club that will compete for championships in MLS. In every country I have played, I always strive to leave a mark, and making an impact in San Diego and MLS is very important to me ... I am beyond excited and look forward to finishing the year strong with PSV Eindhoven and joining San Diego FC at the start of 2025.”
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Lozano will be introduced to media and fans on Thursday, June 13. SDFC will hold a public event for fans at the Rady Shell at 7 p.m. PT.
The 28-year-old is perhaps most well known for his goal against Germany in Mexico's victory over the defending World Cup Champion in the 2018 World Cup. Lozano has over 70 caps and 18 goals since making his national team debut in 2016.
Soccer
“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 in the team's announcement.
His club career began in Liga MX with Pachuca. In 149 matches Lozano netted 43 goals and 31 assists.
In 2017, he went overseas, joining PSV. His first season included 17 goals and 11 assists in 29 appearances. Lozano helped them take the Eredivisie title in 2018. He also helped them lift the Dutch league crown in May. In 112 games with PSV, Chucky had 46 goals and 26 helpers.
Lozano has also spent time in Italy playing for Napoli, where he claimed the Serie A championship in 2023. While with Napoli, he recorded 30 goals and 17 assists in 155 matches.
“’Chucky’ is a world-class talent, and we couldn’t think of a better star to be the face of our Club and represent our region," San Diego FC CEO Tom Penn said in the team's statement. "We are thrilled to have him join our Club as we look to build a team that will challenge for trophies. ‘Chucky’ is one of the most decorated Mexican internationals in the world, and we look forward to seeing him shine in San Diego and MLS in 2025.”
Tom Bogert is a Major League Soccer insider for The Athletic and told NBC 7 he believes Lozano could be a top-10 player in the league.
"I can not say enough good things about this signing," Bogert said. "In (his) prime, somebody who is gonna move the needle on the field first and foremost, that's most important. But off the field, this is really gonna help with relevancy. This is really gonna help with pushing them center stage in the league and a way to announce to the rest of MLS, 'hey we're here.'"
Lozano is the fourth player San Diego FC has signed. The first was San Diego native Duran Ferree, who played for the Loyal and is now in goal for Orange County SC of the USL. They also added forward Marcus Ingvartsen and midfielder Jeppe Tverskov from FC Nordsjælland, a Danish club within the Right to Dream network that San Diego FC is now joining.
"That's obviously huge," Tverskov told NBC 7 about Lozano's addition. "That's one of the things that they talked to us about, that they had a dream to bring a big star from Mexico and I think they brought the biggest one. So of course that's gonna be big for us, it's gonna be even more hype."
"A great player," Invgartsen added. "Been doing well in his last couple of years, so yeah it will be fun to link up there."
