Gio Reyna was only 19 when he flew from Germany to Doha ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He expected to play a key role for a young United States squad making its first World Cup appearance in three decades. With just one player on the roster—veteran defender DeAndre Yedlin—having any prior World Cup experience, the U.S. team navigated the group stage by drawing with tournament favorites England and defeating Iran before falling to the Netherlands in the Round of 16.
Reyna, however, saw very limited action in Qatar. Now 23, after nearly four injury-plagued years, he is determined to earn a spot on the team for the 2026 World Cup on home soil. He returns armed with valuable lessons from the past.
“I think individually and collectively, we were all very young and maybe a bit inexperienced at the time,” Reyna said Tuesday during a video conference from Germany, hosted by his club Borussia Mönchengladbach. “We came up against a Holland team that was more experienced, better, and more savvy with the game. It was almost too much for us.”
“It was an amazing experience,” he added. “I learned so much from it.”
Unlike in 2022, Reyna is not guaranteed a spot on the 26-man roster this time. But he is making a late push. The New York native and son of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna and former women’s national team player Danielle Egan scored his first Bundesliga goal of the season last weekend. More importantly, he logged 32 minutes off the bench—his most playing time in any match since December. After a mid-season muscle injury, Reyna is approaching full fitness, up from the 85 percent he estimated in November after scoring for the U.S. in a friendly win over Paraguay. The U.S., co-hosts of the 2026 tournament, will face Paraguay again in their World Cup opener in Los Angeles on June 12.
“I don’t know if any player is ever 100 percent—there are always knocks at this point in the season,” Reyna said. “But I feel ready to play 90 minutes and give my maximum. I feel very fit and sharp. All I want is to show it on the pitch.”
Mauricio Pochettino, the former Chelsea and PSG manager who replaced Gregg Berhalter in late 2024, will announce the U.S. World Cup roster on May 26. “I have a great relationship with him,” Reyna said. “He’s very invested, communicative, and honest about what he wants from the team and players individually.”
Several deserving World Cup hopefuls will inevitably be left off. Pochettino has evaluated over 70 players since taking over, and he can’t take everyone. Reyna admitted the uncertainty is tough as a career-defining decision looms. “It’s on everyone’s mind,” he said. “No spot is guaranteed or safe.” When asked if he feels he’s done enough, Reyna called it a “hard question to answer.”
“If I say no, I’m not backing myself. If I say yes, it’s the arrogant answer. I love the staff, the players, and the national team. Whatever happens, happens. But I’m hoping to be there to make an impact and achieve something great. The decision is out of my hands.”
He added, “I try not to let it take over my day and stress me out too much. But it is in the back of my mind.”
After only two substitute appearances in 2022, Reyna would welcome a bigger role this time. Despite limited club minutes since Qatar, he has been a consistent performer for his country, helping the U.S. win Concacaf Nations League titles in 2021, 2023, and 2024. “Of course I’d want to play more,” he said. “But you learn to do whatever you can to help the team. It’s about the collective doing something special for our country.”
