.jpg) De la Torre playing for theUnited States at the2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Lucas Daniel de la Torre[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1998-05-23)May 23, 1998 (age 27) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | San Diego,California, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | San Diego FC (on loan fromCelta Vigo) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Nomads | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | San Diego Surf | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2016 | Fulham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2020 | Fulham | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Heracles Almelo | 64 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Celta Vigo | 60 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | →San Diego FC (loan) | 30 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | United States U17 | 28 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | United States U20 | 15 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018– | United States | 32 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of October 18, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of September 9, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lucas Daniel de la Torre (born May 23, 1998) is an American professionalsoccer player who plays as amidfielder forMajor League Soccer clubSan Diego FC, on loan fromLa Liga sideCelta Vigo, and theUnited States national team.
Having begun his professional career withFulham in theEFL Championship, he later played forHeracles in theEredivisie andCelta Vigo inLa Liga. A full international for theUnited States since 2018, he was selected for the2022 FIFA World Cup.
De la Torre was born and raised inSan Diego, California, and began playing soccer atNomads andSan Diego Surf,[3][4] before moving to England to play withFulham in 2013.[5] De la Torre made his debut for Fulham on August 9, 2016, in theEFL Cup first round againstLeyton Orient, starting the match and played 88 minutes atBrisbane Road as Fulham won 3–2.[6] His first league appearance was aChampionship match againstBolton Wanderers on October 28, 2017, as a last-minute substitute forTomáš Kalas in a 1–1 home tie.[7]
He scored his only goal for Fulham in anEFL Cup tie againstMillwall on September 25, 2018.[8]
On August 6, 2020, de la Torre signed a two-year deal withEredivisie sideHeracles Almelo.[9] He provided an assist in hisEredivisie debut on September 13, 2020, in a 2–0 win overADO Den Haag.[10] He was named to the Eredivisie Team of the Month for March 2021, having scored his first goal on March 7 as a late winner in a 2–1 home victory overPEC Zwolle.[11] He was again named to the Eredivisie Team of the Month for January 2022.[12]
On July 7, 2022, de la Torre signed a four-year deal withCelta de Vigo ofLa Liga. He was the second player of American nationality to play for the club, after Italy internationalGiuseppe Rossi.[13][14][15] He made his debut on August 20 in a 4–1 home loss toReal Madrid, playing the final three minutes in place ofRenato Tapia.[16]
Having only made brief substitute appearances under managerEduardo Coudet, de la Torre played a larger role in the team afterCarlos Carvalhal arrived.[17] On December 22, he came off the bench away toGernika in the second round of theCopa del Rey and scored his first goal within ten minutes to conclude a 3–0 victory.[18] In the next round on January 3, 2023, he made his first start, though the team lost 3–1 at fellow top-flight teamEspanyol in extra time.[17]
He scored his firstLa Liga goal, following an assist one minute earlier, againstOsasuna on February 4, 2024.[19]
On January 21, 2025, de la Torre signed withSan Diego FC through the 2025 MLS season, on loan fromCelta de Vigo with an option to purchase.[20]
De la Torre was part of theUnited States under-17 team for the2015 CONCACAF U-17 Championship and2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[21][22]
He was also part of theUnited States under-20 team that won the2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, scoring the game-winner in a 4–1 group stage win againstHaiti[23] and netting a penalty kick during thepenalty shootout in the final againstHonduras.[5] He was also a member of the United States squad that reached the2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup quarterfinals, scoring a goal in a group stage draw againstEcuador[24] and assisting on bothJosh Sargent's game-winner in a group stage match againstSenegal[25] as well asLagos Kunga's goal in a 6–0 Round of 16 win overNew Zealand.[26]
On June 2, 2018, de la Torre made his senior team debut for theUnited States, coming on as a substitute in afriendly againstRepublic of Ireland.[27][28] On February 2, 2022, he made his first start for the United States againstHonduras in a 3–0 victory inWorld Cup Qualifying.[29]
De la Torre recovered from a muscular injury suffered in October 2022 in time to be chosen for theWorld Cup in Qatar the following month. He did not feature in any games as the United States reached the last 16.[30]
de la Torre scored his first goal for the senior squad in a 1–2 friendly loss toCanada on September 7, 2024.[31]
Both of de la Torre's parents are scientists at research institutes in the San Diego area.[32] His father isSpanish, which allowed him to receive a Spanish passport and leave the U.S. at 15 years old.[33] He did not learn Spanish until he arrived atCelta Vigo, but is now comfortable giving interviews and communicating with his teammates.[34]
Dubbed "El Pulpeto" by the club, de la Torre has a superstition to eatGalician octopus ("pulpo") after everyCelta Vigo victory.[35]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Fulham | 2016–17 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| 2017–18 | Championship | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | Championship | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 14 | 1 | |||
| Heracles Almelo | 2020–21 | Eredivisie | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | Eredivisie | 32 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 1 | |||
| Total | 64 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 67 | 2 | ||||
| Celta | 2022–23 | La Liga | 28 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 30 | 1 | ||
| 2023–24 | La Liga | 31 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 35 | 3 | |||
| 2024–25 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 60 | 1 | 7 | 3 | — | — | 67 | 4 | ||||
| San Diego FC (loan) | 2025 | MLS | 30 | 5 | — | — | 5[c] | 0 | 35 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 160 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 182 | 12 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2018 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 32 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 September 2024 | Children's Mercy Park,Kansas City, United States | 23 |  Canada | 1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly | [38] |
United States U20
United States
Individual
Sixteen of the 25 players on the trip in Europe have five caps or less, while three made their first appearance for the USA at Aviva Stadium: Luca de la Torre,Shaq Moore andTim Parker.
United States squads | |||||||||||||||||||
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