Who is Luca de la Torre? Inside the USMNT World Cup roster

Player: Luca de la Torre
Age: 24
Club: Celta de Vigo
Position: Central midfielder
USMNT caps: 12



The playmaker is going into the tournament with a leg injury but still makes the roster. It’s a safe bet; De la Torre is expected to be healthy before the Americans’ Nov. 21 opener against Wales.

He’s adept at keeping possession or making the pass that unlocks an opposing defense. Both of those skills could come in handy at the end of games in Qatar. With De la Torre is expected to come off the bench, his lack of playing time in La Liga (he’s been a late match sub for Celta, logging 50 minutes over his five appearances this season) isn’t a huge concern. 

Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.