NEW YORK — Gio Reyna was sitting with his wife in the parking lot of a favorite smoothie shop when the email appeared and the celebrations began.Four years ago, he’d have known the call was coming. Now, last Friday afternoon? As 1 p.m. approached, nerves jangled. Neither he nor anyone around him was sure whether he’d make the U.S. roster for the 2026 World Cup.After all, he hadn’t started a single game for his German club, Borussia Mönchengladbach, in 2026. Over the past three seasons, he’d contributed to only five club goals. He hadn’t done much to prove himself worthy, to earn one of 26 precious places at this star-spangled tournament.But then the email flashed onto his phone. A video from U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino followed. Anxiety disappeared, and excitement surged. He’d made it. After all the injuries and struggles for playing time, he’d made it.So was he surprised?“No,” he said Tuesday. “I wasn’t, no.”He spoke for several minutes, mostly with a smile, and at times, his answers might have come across as tone deaf, even cocky, perhaps evidence that Reyna hasn’t changed much since 2022.When asked what he learned from that World Cup — when he was nearly sent home due to behavioral issues — and whether he’s a different person four years later, he responded: “Ummm, not much I guess. It’s obviously in the past.”When asked by CBS Sports whether his place at this World Cup feels “like a little bit of personal redemption,” he shrugged and responded: “Uh, no, not really. Ahhh, I don’t really know what it would be redemption for.”But he clearly has changed.Four years ago, he went to Qatar at age 20 assuming he would play. When, according to his own version of events, he was told that his “role at the tournament would be very limited,” he was devastated. “I believe in my abilities,” he explained in an Instagram statement after the tournament. “I fully expected and desperately wanted to contribute.”