Hirving Lozano Viciously Slammed Amid San Diego Exile As World Cup Hopes Shrink

The winger’s disciplinary issues have seriously jeopardized his chances of making a third World Cup appearance.

Hirving Lozano’s off-field issues could have devastating consequences. | Tony Ding/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Hirving “Chucky” Lozano needs to find a new club after falling out of favor with San Diego FC, but his brother and fellow professional player Bryan Lozano believes plenty of potential suitors “really don’t want him” as the 2026 World Cup looms large.

San Diego FC made Lozano their first ever marque signing and Designated Player ahead of the team’s inaugural campaign in Major League Soccer. But after just one season, Lozano’s relationship with manager Mikey Varas and the rest of the club’s hierarchy fractured, so much so the team announced he was no longer part of the side’s sporting plans for 2026.

Lozano’s disciplinary issues couldn’t come at a worse time given he’d just started to become a regular with the Mexico national team after spending over a year away from El Tri. By the end of 2025, his spot in Javier Aguirre’s World Cup roster appeared to be a lock. But now, his presence in the tournament is in serious doubt.

If “Chucky” wants to play in his third World Cup, he must find a new home to get consistent minutes before the tournament, but in his brother’s eyes, there’s little hope for El Tri’s 2018 World Cup hero.

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Hirving Lozano’s Brother Highlights Chucky’s Disciplinary Issues

Hirving Lozano’s San Diego career is over after one season. | Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

Off-field issues have become synonymous with El Chucky in recent years. In an interview with ESPN, his brother offered insight on the recurring disciplinary problems and their consequences.

“In Napoli, he had problems with [Gennaro] Gatusso and his staff,” Bryan Lozano said. “At the time, he also had them [problems] at PSV Eindhoven. He’s rude and arrogant and that leads nowhere. That’s influenced why many really don’t want him.

“Regardless of him [having a high salary] at San Diego, I think that is an excuse [potential suitors use], because it’s not worth having a player like that, knowing it’s important to have a healthy dressing room. So no team or very few will risk signing him, because in the end they run the risk of something similar happening [with Lozano at their club].”

San Diego’s decision to exclude Lozano from their 2026 plans has been public knowledge since early in the year. The January transfer window came and went and Lozano was unable to find a new home, putting him in a precarious position.

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What Are Hirving Lozano’s Current Options For World Cup Push

Hirving Lozano scored one of the most memorable goals in Mexico’s World Cup history vs. Germany in 2018. | David Ramos/FIFA/Getty Images

January reports suggested that Lozano was offered to Liga MX powerhouses Monterrey and Cruz Azul to reinforce their ranks for the Clausura 2026. In the end, neither team pulled the trigger on the move.

Unlike the vast majority of leagues around the world, the MLS transfer window remains open until Mar. 26. A sideways move within the league could be Lozano’s most likely escape route, but there hasn’t been any reported interest shown in the 30-year-old winger.

Any move outside of MLS would only be possible if San Diego and Lozano were to reach an agreement on breaking his current contract, valid until the end of 2028.

However, reports suggest Lozano wouldn’t mind staying in San Diego and repairing his relationship with the club. As of now, though, the Southern California side remains firm on its decision to part ways with the Mexican.

With very few options on the table, Lozano better hope San Diego soften their stance in the coming weeks, or he could likely be out of action until the summer window open following the World Cup.

After featuring in five of Mexico’s last six games of 2025, Lozano needs to find a solution to his murky situation soon, or else his previously strong chance representing El Tri in its home World Cup will disappear months before the tournament starts.

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