Four years after World Cup drama, Gio Reyna gets another shot with Team USA

SoccerFour years after World Cup drama, Gio Reyna gets another shot with Team USACoach Mauricio Pochettino’s faith in Reyna gives the talented midfielder a chance at redemption on soccer’s biggest stage.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleU.S. men's national team unveils World Cup roster03:28Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 27, 2026, 11:30 AM EDTBy Tim RohanLast week, Gio Reyna and his wife, Chloe, were sitting in a parking lot, outside a smoothie shop in Connecticut, waiting to hear if he’d made Team USA’s World Cup roster. They knew word would be coming from the coaching staff any minute, but they wanted to be alone.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Back at his wife’s family’s house, he said, “We knew there would be some nerves.” His parents were elsewhere, also “waiting anxiously,” Reyna said. “Just like I was.” Soon enough, Reyna received notice: he’d made the roster. He called his parents to share the news. “Just over the moon,” he said, describing their reaction.Years ago, he was considered the next great young American soccer player, the son of two former members of the men’s and women’s national teams, Claudio and Danielle Reyna. He was only a teenager when he went to train with Borussia Dortmund in Germany. A young, attacking midfielder with preternatural touch, he could dribble through entire defenses or create an advantage with a perfect pass — skills that cannot exactly be taught.Giovanni Reyna with his jersey during the United States World Cup roster reveal on Tuesday.Vincent Carchietta / USSF/Getty ImagesBut at the 2022 World Cup, Reyna didn’t play much. Questions swirled about his effort, his attitude, and lack of fitness. He seemed to be in coach Gregg Berhalter’s doghouse. Reyna had just turned 20 years old. Eventually, the situation devolved into a full-blown soap opera between Reyna’s parents and the coach, who had known on...