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The career of Hirving Lozano has featured many ups and downs, as the Mexican winger has been an enigma for both club and country.
The 30-year-old has at times been unplayable, earning a big-money move to Serie A giants Napoli while building himself into a superstar for the Mexico national team.
Yet there have also been struggles both on and of the field. After his European club career began to fizzle, a move to MLS expansion side San Diego FC was meant to be a new beginning.
Nine goals and eight assists in his debut MLS season helped San Diego FC clinch the Western Conference final on the final day of the season, playing a key role in the squad's success.
Yet as the team celebrated the regular season accomplishment and looked ahead to the playoffs ahead, Lozano was not on hand to join in the jubilation. Now, it seems that Lozano might not even take the field in the postseason as the Mexico star has been disciplined by head coach Mikey Varas and his staff.
MORE: Why is Hirving Lozano nicknamed 'Chucky'?
Is 'Chucky' Lozano playing for San Diego FC?
According to Tom Bogert of The Athletic, 'Chucky' Lozano's status for the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs is in serious doubt.
Bogert reported that an incident in the San Diego FC locker room at halftime of the club's penultimate regular season match against Houston Dynamo has caused the club to reconsider his place in the squad.
The report states that after Lozano was subbed off at halftime, the Mexico international reacted angrily, resulting in a verbal altercation. Who he clashed with is unclear, but the San Diego coaching staff has responded with disciplinary action.
Lozano did not appear in the squad for San Diego's final regular season match, a 4-0 win at Portland Timbers which sealed the Western Conference title.
"We've had a situation we're dealing with internally," said head coach Mikey Varas after the match in response to a question regarding Lozano's absence.
MORE: All 2025 MLS Cup playoff fixtures, schedule, bracket, and results
Will 'Chucky' Lozano play in the MLS playoffs?
At this point, it's not certain whether Hirving Lozano will be available for San Diego FC in the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs.
According to Bogert's report, a source told The Athletic that "Lozano needs to prove how committed he is to the locker room" if he wishes to see the field in the playoffs.
San Diego FC will face the wild card round winner out of the Western Conference, set to meet either the Portland Timbers or Real Salt Lake on Sunday, October 26. They will play a best-of-three series, with at least one home game plus the potential for a second should the series require a decisive third game.
Should he be cast aside, it would not the first time that Lozano has been ousted from a squad after clashing with staff. After a March 2024 defeat to the United States in the CONCACAF Nations League final, Lozano made comments perceived as criticism of head coach Jaime Lozano, saying, “We didn't come out on our best day. The approach wasn't right, and we all failed to do things."
Lozano was not called in to the Mexico national team for over a year after that, finally returning to the fold this past September.
MORE: How do the MLS playoffs work? | What is a Designated Player in MLS?
How much did 'Chucky' Lozano cost San Diego FC?
The 30-year-old joined San Diego FC from Dutch side PSV in January on a transfer worth a reported $12 million.
Lozano signed a Designated Player contract that sees him paid the fifth-highest salary in Major League Soccer, earning $7.63 million according to the annual salary release by the MLS Players Association.
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