MLS
Hirving Lozano officially signs for San Diego FC: when will he play his first MLS game?
Mexican winger “Chucky” Lozano becomes San Diego’s first “Designated Player” but will have to wait to make his debut.
San Diego FC have signed their first ever “Designated Player” ahead of their MLS debut as the league’s newest franchise. Mexico international Hirving “Chucky” Lozano is the man in question, the PSV Eindhoven winger agreeing a four-year deal up until the end of the 2028 MLS season.
When will San Diego FC start playing in the MLS?
The 28-year-old will, however, have to bide his time to make his debut for his new club. It was announced in May 2023 that San Diego had been awarded the MLS’ 30th expansion team and that San Diego would begin playing in the league in the 2025 season.
Despite that, Lozano won’t be kicking his heels until next season gets underway, which is expected to happen in February 2025. San Diego have reached an agreement with PSV that will see him stay with the Dutch club until the end of the year before making the move stateside, officially on 1 January 2025.
When will Lozano be unveiled as a San Diego FC player?
“It’s an honor to join San Diego FC as the Club’s first Designated Player,” said Lozano after his signing was confirmed. “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 identified with the project immediately and I am confident we will be able to help a lot of youth players from both sides of the border.”
San Diego FC owner and chairman, Sir Mohamed Mansour, and CEO Tom Penn were delighted to be able to welcome Lozano on board, calling the Mexican “the biggest possible endorsement of our project in San Diego” and “a world-class talent”.
Lozano was surprisingly left off the Mexico roster for the 2024 Copa América, which starts in the United States on 20 June. He will instead have some time to get to know his new surroundings, with his unveiling to media and fans in San Diego set for the morning of Thursday 13 June (10 am PT), with a press conference to follow in the evening (7pm PT).