Gio Reyna first season with Bundesliga side Borussia Moenchengladbach hasn’t gone as planned but the American midfielder is staying confident ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Reyna most recently scored his first goal of the season in Gladbach’s 3-1 league loss to Augsburg, ending a lengthy goal-less drought at club level. The 23-year-old celebrated his first goal for the club after making his fourth-consecutive substitute appearance for Eugen Polanski’s squad.
Injuries have previously hampered Reyna’s time in Germany, which has led to him making 30-or-fewer appearances in each of the last four seasons. Although Reyna has been disappointed after not being on the field as much as expected, he remains focused on carrying his recent form over to a potential U.S. men’s national team call up this month.
“Of course, with these injuries, it sucks and you never want to be injured, but I try to take what I can from each injury,” Reyna said in a conference call on Tuesday. “I’ve been unlucky with them, but I’m feeling good now. I’m doing all I can 24 hours a day to stay fit and give all in training and recovery.
“I think individually it would be great to do something with the national team; the team means a lot to me,” he added. “I’ve had very good moments with this team over the last couple years, so, I would love to be there, have an impact on the team. It’s a dream to represent my country at the World Cup.”
Reyna’s club role may have been inconsistent since arriving at Gladbach last September but that hasn’t hurt his chances with the USMNT. The attacking midfielder scored for the USMNT against Paraguay last November while also featuring in the subsequent matches against Uruguay, Belgium, and Portugal respectively.
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino previously praised Reyna’s impact with the program, admitting that a lack of club minutes wouldn’t hurt Reyna’s chances of being with the squad this summer for the World Cup.
Reyna is focused on only what he can control, backing himself to deliver for the USMNT if called upon.
“I think it’s in everyone’s mind,” Reyna said about locking down a USMNT roster spot when away with his club. “No spot is guaranteed or safe, but yeah, I wanna be there. It’s a World Cup in your home country. You think about it often, but I try not to let it sort of take over my day and stress me out too much, but it is in the back of my mind, like I’m sure with many other players.
“I want to be there, I want to represent my country and give everything for the team,” Reyna added. “If I say no, I’m not backing myself. And if I say yes, it’s the arrogant answer where I feel like I should be there. It’s a hard question to answer. I love the staff. I love the players. I love the national team. Obviously whatever happens, happens. Really hoping and wanting to be there to make an impact and achieve something great with the team, but the decision is out of my hands.”
Reyna was part of the USMNT’s last World Cup involvement at Qatar 2022, making two appearances under then-head coach Gregg Berhalter. He helped the Americans reach the Round of 16 before suffering elimination at the hands of the Netherlands.
Now close to four years later, the USMNT will be eager to take the next step on the world’s biggest stage, with Reyna aiming to play a larger role this time around.
“I think individually and collectively we were all very, very young and maybe a little bit inexperienced at the time,” Reyna said. “We came up against a Holland team that was a little bit more experienced, a little bit better, a little bit savvier, and in the end, it was almost too much for us. A World Cup is an amazing experience, and I learned so much from that.
“Of course, I would wanna play more in this upcoming tournament, but at the same time, you know, you learn you’re just trying to do whatever you can to help the team,” he added. “It’s a dream come true just to be there. It’s about the collective, it’s about the team, doing whatever we can to do something special for our country.”
Reyna and Borussia Moenchengladbach will close their league schedule on Saturday against Hoffenheim knowing a win could see them finish the campaign as high as 10th.