Hirving “Chucky” Lozano is forever an immortalized figure in Mexican soccer.
He’s not in the top 10 of El Tri’s all-time goal scorers, nor was he part of Mexico’s World Cup squad that captivated the hearts of the entire country.
His moment was back in 2018 with his game-winning goal to beat reigning World Cup champions Germany. The photos of his knee slide celebration at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, are forever a part of El Tri’s history and the Lozanos’ legacy.
Eight years after that moment, Lozano is at an inflection point in his career.
He spent nine months in exile from soccer, from the team that wanted him to be the face of the franchise for years. San Diego FC was supposed to be his team; instead, they’re the club that put him in the lowest moment of his professional career.
Lozano was supposed to be a veteran on Mexico’s 2026 World Cup squad. Instead, he was forced to watch the games from home and play the “What-if” game in his head. It was a dark moment in Lozano’s career, and an emotional moment that showed him the cruelty of the game.
“He said it was the hardest decision he’d ever had to make… he had to make a decision between his family’s stability and chasing the World Cup,” said LA Galaxy General Manager Kuntz in August.
“After trying so hard to get to MLS and having a really successful season, and his family having a really stable environment in San Diego. That wasn’t something that he was willing to uproot, and he was willing to miss a World Cup for that,” said Kuntz.
But now, the situation has flipped.
Lozano finds himself as one of the faces of the LA Galaxy. But most importantly, he’s back in the Mexican National Team picture.
Rafa Marquez’s highly anticipated first roster list as the manager of El Tri included the 31-year-old. Lozano’s inclusion was heavily discussed across Mexican media, but one thing is certain: this boost of confidence is what Lozano needs.
In his first eight games with the G’s, Lozano hasn’t filled the stat sheet. A goal and one assist in 564 minutes isn’t elite production, nor has it changed the Galaxy’s fortunes for the better.
Momentum is a key part of sports. It’s something the LA Galaxy’s yet to capture at any point in the MLS season. It’s real for players too – a player going on a scoring streak or finding ways to change the game off the ball doesn’t happen by itself. It needs to be built up through confidence.
For a player who missed the World Cup, being welcomed back into the fold by El Tri is a statement that the door is not closed. That the story is not over and that what happened in San Diego will not define how Lozano’s career ends.
There is a psychological dimension to this that matters for the Galaxy. Lozano is a player who has always performed best with confidence and freedom, especially as a direct winger. During his best years at PSV and Napoli, he didn’t hesitate to take on defenders or escape from tight spaces.
The exile stripped some of that away. The months of training alone, the public scrutiny, and the World Cup absence have stayed with him for months. These are not things a player simply shakes off.
A Mexico call-up is the kind of moment that can begin to rebuild that foundation. Playing in front of his country again, alongside teammates who see him as an icon and in the colors that mean the most to him.
It is the ultimate reminder to Lozano of who he actually is. That player is what the LA Galaxy needed most when he returns from the international break.