A native of Sunnyvale, Calif., Luna turned professional as a 17-year-old with Locomotive from the Barca Residency Academy prior to the 2021 season and quickly made his mark in the Championship. Over his first pro campaign he recorded nine goals and five assists in 32 appearances for Locomotive to earn USL Championship All-League Second Team honors and nomination for USL Championship Young Player of the Year.

Luna finished second in the voting that year to fellow future United States international Jonathan Gomez, then of Louisville City FC, but his performances saw him called up to the United States U-20 Men’s National Team and then feature for the side as it first won the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship and then reach the Quarterfinals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

His talents also saw Real Salt Lake come calling, and midway through the 2022 season RSL acquired Luna via transfer from Locomotive. He has since progressed to become a key figure in Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s lineup and this year saw him earn his first United States Men’s National Team call-up.

Luna is the second player to claim MLS’s Young Player of the Year award since it replaced the Rookie of the Year award in 2020 that launched their career in the USL’s professional ranks following Ricardo Pepi, who earned the award in 2021 having previously been voted to the USL League One All-League Team as he won the league title with North Texas SC in 2019.

Luna’s path, meanwhile, is one that is becoming more frequently followed by young and established players in the USL Championship in Major League Soccer and overseas.

This calendar year has seen 13 players move via transfer agreements to clubs in MLS or Europe. Among them, 2023 Championship Young Player of the Year Fidel Barajas first joined Real Salt Lake from the Charleston Battery before a mid-summer transfer to Chivas de Guadalajara of LigaMX.

It’s a trend that has seen numerous players follow the path Luna set out on three years ago when he elected to join El Paso to start his pro career. His continued success since joining Real Salt Lake has delivered an example for those players to follow.

“Being able to showcase myself and express myself with all the fans, it’s been a pleasure for me,” said Luna.