Two years ago, Gio Reyna’s name was more associated with locker room tension and family feuds than highlight-reel goals. Now he’s scoring trivelas on the World Cup stage and announcing he’s going to be a father.
From controversy to the World Cup roster
Reyna’s journey to the 2026 World Cup has been anything but linear. The 23-year-old midfielder was named to Mauricio Pochettino’s 26-player USMNT roster on May 26, a selection that carried more narrative weight than most. His 2022 Qatar World Cup experience was defined less by what happened on the pitch and more by what happened off it, including a very public fallout involving his family and former head coach Gregg Berhalter.
His inclusion on the 2026 roster signaled that Pochettino, who took over the USMNT reins with a mandate to professionalize the program, saw past the noise. The Argentine coach has been vocal about his belief in the midfielder, saying he “really trusts” Reyna and expressing confidence in his abilities. That’s notable given Reyna’s inconsistent playing time at the club level with Borussia Mönchengladbach, where minutes have not always come easily.
A trivela and a turning point
