Real Salt Lake Star Diego Luna Named Recipient of the 2025 Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award

NEW YORK and HERRIMAN, Utah, Nov. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Major League Soccer and Audi of America announced today that Diego Luna of Real Salt Lake has been named the recipient of the 2025 Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award. The honor recognizes MLS players who are dedicated to driving positive change and enriching lives within communities across the U.S. and Canada.

To honor his impact, Audi will contribute $150,000 to Intermountain Health's Primary Children's Hospital in support of its Primary Promise program, a cause dear to Luna's heart and dedicated to positively impacting the health and future of children. The presentation will take place during MLS Cup presented by Audi on December 6.

Beyond his on-field success with MLS, Luna is dedicated to uplifting his community. Recognized as Utah's Male Professional Athlete of the Year by the Governor's Office and the Utah Sports Commission, he works with local schools, youth soccer clubs, and after-school programs across the Salt Lake region to promote mental health awareness and encourage seeking help through therapy.

"Receiving the 2025 Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award is a tremendous honor, and being a voice and champion for positive change is and will continue to be a big part of my life," said Luna from the recent U.S. Men's National Team camp. "My time in Utah has provided my family and I with incredible opportunities, and we want to do everything we can to give back to the community that has truly embraced me and shown me nothing but kindness ever since I arrived here. We are not only at a pivotal moment for the continued growth of soccer in North America, but this also presents an opportunity to continue driving positive change all across our sport and our League, and I'm privileged to be part of these impactful efforts."

A standout performer during his four seasons in Major League Soccer, Luna has earned recognition as an MLS All-Star in both 2024 and 2025 – Real Salt Lake's first back-to-back All-Star honoree in nearly a decade. Having also been honored as the 2024 MLS Young Player of the Year, the youngest player in MLS history to receive this accolade, Luna continues to serve as a key figure for RSL, serving as the Claret-and-Cobalt's Golden Boot leader in 2025 and helping the Utah side advance to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in five consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in the Western Conference.

Beyond MLS, Luna continues to elevate his profile with the U.S. Men's National Team, playing an integral role in the squad's success during the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, where he was named to the tournament's Best XI, and appearing in 16 of 17 matches during the 2025 campaign for Mauricio Pochettino's squad.

The finalists for this year's Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award included Luna, Austin FC's Brad Stuver and LAFC's Ryan Hollingshead, each of whom were chosen by a selection committee comprised of current MLS players, technical staff, front office staff, and members of the media.

Over the last three seasons, Audi, MLS and The Players' Tribune have teamed up to create the "Celebrating Impact" content series to amplify the work of MLS players in their communities and place a spotlight on the causes they are most passionate about. For his work driving progress off the field, Luna was featured in September and received a $50,000 contribution from the Audi Goals Drive Progress fund for his selected nonprofit organizations: Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital and the new Intermountain Health Primary Children's Hospital Behavioral Health Center, Taylorsville Campus. 

The final addition to the content series, with additional video content featuring Luna, will debut across The Players' Tribune channels the first week of December.

"Not only is Diego Luna a star in our league, but his dedication to giving back to his community is unmatched and the work done through the Audi Goals Drive Progress Initiative says a lot about the great athletes who are heroes both on and off the pitch," said Jen Cramer, MLS EVP of Partnership Marketing. "We're incredibly proud of this year's finalists for the incredible work they do to uplift their communities, and it's been an honor to see the positive impact our players have been having through their efforts."

As a partner of MLS for over a decade, Audi has made a significant impact on young soccer players through the Audi Goals Drive Progress initiative. Launched in 2019, the initiative focuses on removing financial and logistical barriers that limit access to the sport, providing funding to MLS academies for education, housing, and transportation; all critical elements in developing talented players across the league. The Audi Goals Drive Progress initiative has evolved beyond on-field player development to also support and spotlight the community initiatives led by players. Since its inception, Audi has contributed more than $6 million combined towards player education, housing, transportation, and player-selected charity organizations.

For more information on MLS Community efforts, please visit MLSsoccer.com, and to engage with the Celebrating Impact content series, visit theplayerstribune.com. To join the conversation and excitement around the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award, follow @AudiUSA, @MLS and @PlayersTribune on social media.

Media Assets: https://mlssoccer.box.com/s/tg9c3fuisvinsjj0ik4l4wiqhe35ucl7 

ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
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ABOUT AUDI OF AMERICA
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ABOUT THE PLAYERS' TRIBUNE
The Players' Tribune (TPT) is a sports content brand that created the blueprint for athlete-driven storytelling. The Players' Tribune has reimagined the world of sports and culture globally from the player's point of view, giving athletes premium tools and resources to tell their stories through impactful video, audio and written content. Co-Founded by Derek Jeter in 2014, and acquired by Minute Media in 2019, The Players' Tribune provides creative partnership and a curated experience built on trust and representing the athlete point of view above all else. For more information visit www.theplayerstribune.com and engage with TPT content @playerstribune across social channels.

Media Contacts:

For Major League Soccer
Sal Petruzzi
[email protected]
Peter O'Brien
[email protected] 

For Audi
Laura Walton
[email protected] 

For The Players' Tribune 
Sydney Northcutt
[email protected]

For Real Salt Lake
Trey Fitz-Gerald
[email protected] 

SOURCE Major League Soccer