The San Diego FC board announced the arrival of Hirving “Chucky” Lozano as the first Franchise Player in the history of San Diego FC and has signed the winger to a four-year contract until the end of the 2028 MLS season with two option years.
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San Diego FC has reached an agreement with Lozano’s current club, Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven, to transfer the Mexican international to SDFC on January 1, 2025. Meanwhile, Lozano will remain at PSV Eindhoven for the remainder of 2024 .
The SDFC is expected to officially introduce Lozano to the media and fans in San Diego on Thursday, June 13.
Lozano will be introduced to the media for the first time during a press conference at Snapdragon Stadium at 10:00 am on Thursday, June 13, followed by a public presentation and fan festival at the iconic Rady Shell in Jacobs Park, located at the Embarcadero Marina Park South at 7:00 p.m.
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“Signing a player of the international stature of ‘Chucky’ Lozano is the greatest possible support for our project in San Diego,” said San Diego FC owner and president Sir Mohamed Mansour.
“His journey from Pachuca, Mexico to soccer’s biggest stage goes hand in hand with how Right to Dream provides opportunities for talent everywhere, and we hope that story can inspire and motivate the next generation of talents in San Diego and around the world,” added the manager.
Lozano, known as “Chucky”, has established himself as one of the most dynamic wingers in this sport.
The Mexico City native will join San Diego after a successful career in Europe and Mexico, playing for some of the best international clubs such as PSV Eindhoven of the Eredivisie, Napoli of Italy’s Serie A and CF Pachuca of the Liga MX of Mexico.
“We are excited to make history by officially welcoming ‘Chucky’ Lozano to San Diego FC as the Club’s first Franchise Player,” said SDFC CEO Tom Penn.
“’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. We are delighted to have him join our Club as we look to build a team that competes for trophies. ‘Chucky’ is one of the most decorated Mexican internationals in the world, and we hope to see him shine in San Diego and in the MLS in 2025,” he added.
As part of the agreement, SDFC has also secured exclusive global commercial rights to Lozano’s image, likeness and endorsements across all media platforms, including advertising campaigns and special events.
Throughout his career, the 28-year-old has made over 267 appearances in Europe at club level all-time, scoring 76 goals and registering 43 assists in all competitions during his time at PSV Eindhoven and Napoli. .
Lozano has won titles at every club he has played for, including the 2016 Liga MX Clausura and 2016-17 Concacaf Champions League titles with Pachuca, the 2017-18 and 2023-24 Eredivisie titles with PSV Eindhoven, and the 2019-20 Coppa Italia and 2022-23 Serie A titles with Napoli.
At the international level, the winger has played 70 games with the Mexican National Team, scoring 18 goals and 12 assists all-time for the Tricolor. Notably, Lozano has represented his country on the world’s biggest stage, making seven appearances and recording one goal and one assist all-time during the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.
“It is an honor to join San Diego FC as the Club’s first Franchise Player,” said Lozano.
“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 have always strived to make my mark, and making a significant impact in San Diego and MLS is very important to me. The Club’s project and plans for the Right to Dream Academy in San Diego resonated deeply with the professional journey I have had in this sport. I identified with the project immediately and I am sure that we will be able to help many youth players on both sides of the border. “I am more than excited and I hope to finish the year strong with PSV Eindhoven and then join San Diego FC at the beginning of 2025,” added the footballer.
Lozano began his professional career with Pachuca of Liga MX, where he played 149 games and scored 43 goals and 31 assists during his time with the club (2014-17). Lozano led Pachuca to the Liga MX title in the 2016 Clausura Tournament and led the club to the 2016-17 Concacaf Champions League championship.
In June 2017, Lozano made the leap to Europe after signing for the Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. In his debut season, the Mexican international scored 17 goals and added 11 assists in 29 games played in the league, leading PSV to the Eredivisie title in the 2017-18 campaign. Over two seasons with PSV during his first spell at the club, Lozano recorded 40 goals and 23 assists in 79 games played in all competitions. In his second spell at PSV (2023-24), Lozano helped lead the club to its first Dutch league title in six years and its 25th Eredivisie title in total, recording six goals and three assists in 24 games. disputed league. All-time, Lozano has recorded 46 goals and 26 assists for PSV in 112 games played in all competitions.
Lozano’s success in the Netherlands caught the attention of the Italian giant Napoli, a club that signed him in August 2019. At Napoli, the Mexican winger scored 30 goals and provided 17 assists in 155 games played, helping Napoli achieve the title of the Coppa Italia 2019-20 and Serie A 2022-23. During the 2022-23 season, Lozano played a pivotal role in helping Napoli win the Serie A title for the first time in over 30 years, becoming the first Mexican international in history to win it.
At the international level, Lozano debuted with the Mexican National Team in 2016 and has since played more than 70 matches, scoring more than 18 goals for his country. Lozano’s memorable moments with the national team include his goal against Germany in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which secured a historic victory for Mexico against the defending World Cup champion at the time. Lozano has represented Mexico in the 2016 Copa América Centenario, 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup, Concacaf Nations League, and the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.
Lozano joins SDFC goalkeeper Duran Ferree, forward Marcus Ingvartsen and midfielder Jeppe Tverskov as the fourth player signed in the Club’s history.
