SAN DIEGO — On Tuesday, Luca de la Torre, a midfielder for the U.S. national soccer team, was loaned to the newly formed Major League Soccer team in his native San Diego by Celta Vigo, a Spanish club. This move comes after de la Torre made only a single brief appearance—just four minutes—during the first half of the current season.

At 26 years old, de la Torre has already made 24 appearances for the U.S. national team. He signed a four-year contract with Celta Vigo in July 2022. During his initial season with the club, he played in 28 matches in the Spanish league and participated in 32 games during his second season. However, he has faced setbacks this season due to a thigh injury, which limited his participation. His lone league appearance was on December 6, against Mallorca, occurring just four days after his return in the Copa del Rey.

The loan agreement with San Diego is set to last until 2025, with the team holding an option to buy de la Torre’s rights.

Growing up in San Diego, de la Torre played for local youth teams such as the San Diego Nomads and San Diego Surf, before advancing to the youth academy of Fulham. While with Fulham, he made seven appearances in the EFL Championship and also featured in various cup competitions from the 2016-2017 season through the 2019-2020 season. In August 2020, he moved to the Dutch club Heracles, where he competed for two seasons.

Although de la Torre was part of the U.S. team in the 2022 World Cup, he did not get to play in any of the matches. He did achieve a personal milestone by scoring his first international goal during a friendly match against Canada in September.

San Diego is set to kick off its inaugural MLS season, marking the league’s 30th team, with their first match scheduled against the LA Galaxy on February 23.