As the United States Men’s National Team progresses towards the 2026 World Cup, each of the likely 50-60 players in the player pool are jockeying to be one of the names on that coveted World Cup roster.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has started the process of narrowing down his options as the tournament draws closer. With just two international windows to go, he must decide which guys he can trust to form a team that can take on the world.
One of the more controversial options is midfielder Gio Reyna. Reyna was deemed one of the bright young talents a few years ago, perhaps one of the best America has ever produced. His creativity on the ball was mesmerizing, and despite being oft-injured, when he was in the lineup it felt like the team could take on all comers.
Then came the 2022 World Cup, where Reyna found himself at the center of controversy involving his reported attitude problems, then-USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, and his parents, Claudio and Danielle Reyna. There’s no need to rehash the saga here, but it formed a nice rift between the whole of the USMNT fanbase.
Now, three years later, Gio Reyna is a kid that is struggling to make it. He was injured a ton while with Borussia Dortmund, and down the stretch he wasn’t even trusted to play. His only reps came when he was healthy enough to get called into USMNT camp, which wasn’t often. Then, his rustiness came with him to USMNT camp, and it hurt his progression.
Now with Borussia Mönchengladbach after a summer transfer, Gio Reyna is speaking out about his desire to recalibrate and get back on the national team for the World Cup. He spoke this week with the Associated Press, but instead of solely focusing on his rebuild, he regressed to some of the immaturity that was present a few years ago. When asked about the 2022 dispute between him, his parents, and Gregg Berhalter, Gio Reyna said, “Maybe in certain ways, but I’m not just going to sort of sit here and take all the blame for something that was made out to be completely my fault, which I believe it wasn’t, and also my family’s, too.”
Reyna continued to talk about how upset he was that he wasn’t getting the playing time he felt he deserved, but in doing so, he rehashed a point in the USMNT program that many have already tried to put behind him. He also brought back to the forefront a dispute that centered around the immaturity he had at the time, immaturity we thought he had put behind him. His answer likely should have steered towards the humility he’s gained since then, not reflecting in a way that suggests he hasn’t learned from three year ago.
There are 26 players who will be on the World Cup roster for the United States. Gio Reyna can be one of them. But a lot of clouds swirl around him that distract from the fact that he isn’t playing much soccer lately. In the past five matches for ‘Gladbach, he’s logged a total of 46 minutes. That’s not going to get anyone called into USMNT camp, especially when Mauricio Pochettino has made it clear what he values and what he’s looking for in club performance. The entire interview was probably ill-timed in that regard, as now people have to highlight how far Reyna’s fallen down the pecking order. Entering 2024, most fans considered him not just an automatic roster inclusion, most believed he should be starting. Now, he can’t even get on the field for his new club, whether it be due to health or coach’s decision. And that’s detrimental for his progress or his ultimate goal to get back on the national team for the World Cup.
It’s important for Gio Reyna to continue the humility and maturity building process while he works to strengthen his body and get back on the field. He should be focused on the grind of getting back to being just one of the guys, and he shouldn’t be looking backwards to the past. At his peak, Gio Reyna could still be one of the great players that could help the United States Men’s National Team, but that’s a peak that is far away right now. He should center his efforts around improving day by day, step by step so that he can see the field and relearn how to play at that high level. That may rule him out of the World Cup, but we shouldn’t count him out.
“I do obviously think about (the World Cup) pretty often as it’s somewhere where I need and want to be,” Reyna said to the Associated Press. “But I try to focus daily here, stay present here, work here every day, and hopefully believe everything will fall into place.” That last part should be his guide. He shouldn’t worry about getting back to the World Cup or even the national team. He should make his primary goal getting becoming a Gio Reyna that can help Borussia Mönchengladbach on the field, in training, and in the community.
At 22 years old, he has more experience than guys 10 years older than him, and he can begin to lead by example. He must block out all the outside influences that have guided him down some ill-advised paths so far in his career. Finally, he should put his head down and work on his game and the other between-the-ears intangibles that will help him moving forward, no matter where the future may take him. And we all should be rooting for him as he figures out how to navigate this road to redemption.
