San Diego FC sign Mexican winger Chucky Lozano as Designated Player

Major League Soccer expansion team San Diego FC has signed winger Hirving “Chucky” Lozano as the club’s first Designated Player. Lozano signed a four-year contract through the 2028 season, the team announced on Thursday.

San Diego FC will become the league’s 30th team when the new franchise begins play next season.

“We are thrilled to have him join our club as we look to build a team that will compete 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 the MLS in 2025,” San Diego FC CEO Tom Penn said in a statement.

Lozano will remain with his current club PSV in the Netherlands until the end of the year. He will formally join San Diego on January 1.

PSV recently secured its 25th title in the Dutch top flight. Lozano scored six goals and added three assists in 24 games during the 2023-24 season.

“It’s exciting to be a part of history as we build a club that will compete for championships in MLS. In every country I have played in, I always strive to make a mark, and making an impact in San Diego and the MLS is very important to me,” said Lozano.

The 28-year-old Lozano also played for Pachuca in Liga MX and Napoli.

He scored 18 goals in 70 appearances for the Mexican national team and played at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. He was recently left out of Mexico’s Copa America squad, along with veterans Guillermo Ochoa and Raúl Jiménez, as well as striker Henry Martín.

San Diego was awarded the 30th MLS club in May 2023. The club is owned by Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan tribe, the first Native American tribe to have an ownership stake in a professional soccer team. The ownership group also includes San Diego Padres star third baseman Manny Machado.

Lozano, a product of Pachuca’s academy system, said he was impressed with San Diego FC’s Right To Dream residential academy, now being built on the Sycuan Reservation in El Cajon, California. SDFC’s first team will also train at the venue.

“The club’s project and plans for the Right to Dream Academy in San Diego resonated deeply with the career path I have had in this sport,” Lozano said. “I immediately identified with the project and I am confident that we can help many youth players from both sides of the border.”

San Diego FC plays at Snapdragon Stadium, which also hosts the San Diego Wave of the National Women’s Soccer League and the San Diego State Aztecs soccer team.