Once at the Center of USMNT Drama, Gio Reyna Is Writing a Different Story

Four years ago, Gio Reyna was embroiled in controversy with the U.S. men’s national team, headlined by a feud with previous manager Gregg Berhalter and his own parents. There was seemingly no future for the once-coveted midfielder in red, white and blue.

Fast forward to 2026, and the 23-year-old sealed the USMNT’s World Cup opener with an incredible trivela goal in front of an impassioned home crowd at SoFi Stadium. The moment of magic added an exclamation point to the Stars and Stripes’ 4–1 victory over Paraguay.

Reyna took the special moment—his first-ever World Cup goal—to announce that his wife, Chloe, is expecting their first child. The celebrations continued after the final whistle, with manager Mauricio Pochettino sharing an embrace with the most controversial pick of his World Cup roster.

After all, Reyna only made 20 appearances for Borussia Mönchengladbach this past season—and only five were starts. But Pochettino fully backed the former outcast, calling him up in November and then again in March before taking him to the World Cup.

It was a winding and tumultuous road for Reyna back to USMNT glory, though, after scandal plagued his early years with the national team.

Everything Changed in Qatar for Reyna

Gio Reyna had few opportunities to impress at the 2022 World Cup. | Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

Reyna was once regarded as one of the most talented players of the USMNT’s “golden generation.” The No. 10 had all the innate ability in the world to become a long-term starter for the Stars and Stripes, a future that promised a trajectory similar to that of Christian Pulisic.

Expectations were high for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Even though Reyna was only 20 years old, he was at the center of every conversation surrounding the USMNT, and there was an overwhelming certainty that he would play a crucial role at the tournament.

Yet Reyna was an unused substitute in the team’s 1–1 opener with Wales. He then only logged eight minutes in the Stars and Stripes’ 0–0 draw with England. Against Iran, a must-win match for the USMNT, he was once again kept on the bench.

Questions and rumors began to swirl surrounding the head-scratching decisions from Berhalter. In a team desperate for some creativity—from the opening whistle and off the bench—Reyna was constantly overlooked, never given the opportunity to help the team crawl out of the group stage.

The midfielder once again did not start in the round of 16 against the Netherlands, but he did come into the game at halftime to try to will the USMNT to an upset that never came. Berhalter’s men crashed out of the competition after a 3–1 defeat.

Soon after, reports emerged of Reyna’s poor attitude and lack of effort in training, resulting in his limited minutes in Qatar. Berhalter himself even later admitted—in a conversation at a leadership conference that he thought was off the record—that he was close to sending Reyna home mid-tournament.

Tensions Worsen Between Reyna’s Family and Berhalter

Gregg Berhalter, Gio Reyna — Gregg Berhalter (left) and Gio Reyna never saw eye to eye. | Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF

Although Reyna reportedly apologized to the team during the 2022 World Cup, controversy continued to loom over his place with the USMNT, especially as his relationship with Berhalter worsened.

Things turned even darker when Reyna’s parents, former U.S. international players Claudio and Danielle, got involved. Reyna’s father admitted to communications with U.S. Soccer over his son’s limited role under Berhalter, before Danielle went to the federation and reported an incident between the former manager and his wife Rosalind back when they were in college.

Berhalter, who confirmed Danielle’s story, had kicked Rosalind in a heated argument back in 1991. Berhalter sought counseling and the incident was not reported to the police at the time. Danielle’s resurgence of the night caused U.S. Soccer to open an investigation into Berhalter, whose contract was ultimately not renewed following the 2022 World Cup.

“To set the record straight, I did call (U.S. Soccer sporting director) Earnie Stewart on December 11, just after the news broke that Gregg had made negative statements about my son Gio at a leadership conference,” Danielle, who was roommates with Rosalind at UNC, said in a statement to The Athletic.

Gregg Berhalter was relieved of his duties for the second time after the USMNT crashed out of Copa América 2024. | Hector Vivas/Getty Images

“I have known Earnie for years and consider him to be a close friend. I wanted to let him know that I was absolutely outraged and devastated that Gio had been put in such a terrible position, and that I felt very personally betrayed by the actions of someone my family had considered a friend for decades.

“As part of that conversation, I told Earnie that I thought it was especially unfair that Gio, who had apologized for acting immaturely about his playing time, was still being dragged through the mud when Gregg had asked for and received forgiveness for doing something so much worse at the same age. Without going into detail, the statements from yesterday significantly minimize the abuse on the night in question.

“Rosalind Berhalter was my roommate, teammate and best friend, and I supported her through the trauma that followed. It took a long time for me to forgive and accept Gregg afterward, but I worked hard to give him grace, and ultimately made both of them and their kids a huge part of my family’s life. I would have wanted and expected him to give the same grace to Gio. This is why the current situation is so very hurtful and hard.”

Reyna’s Redemptin Arc Took Years

The tumultuous conflict between the two families unsurprisingly had a negative impact on Gio’s future with the national team, especially once Berhalter returned as the manager in June 2023.

A slew of injuries and a lack of playing time at Dortmund, Nottingham Forest and Borussia Mönchengladbach did Reyna no favors. He was firmly on the outside looking in, watching what was supposed to be a burgeoning career with the USMNT dwindle to dust.

Then Pochettino took over in Sept. 2024, and suddenly there was light—dim, but still there—at the end of the tunnel. It took some time, but Reyna finally got his opportunity and a clean slate with Pochettino at the helm.

Reyna got the nod against Paraguay during the November international break and found the back of the net just four minutes into the match. He then came off the bench against Uruguay and bagged an assist.

Gio Reyna, Tyler Adams — Gio Reyna (center) shared euphoric moments with his teammates after their World Cup statement victory. | Alex Livesey/FIFA/Getty Images

The 23-year-old was only a substitute in four of his next five USMNT appearances, but he still managed to get on the scoresheet against Paraguay on Friday—this time on the world stage—and announce his true return in front of 70,492 people at SoFi Stadium.

Reyna likely will not break into Pochettino’s XI at the 2026 World Cup, but he is increasing his stock with each passing minute. Above all, he seems to be a much more mature, self-assured version of himself, despite all the highs and lows he went through over the last few years.

Just take a look at how his teammates, both on the pitch and those on the bench, embraced him after his sensational goal on Friday night. There is still work to do, but Reyna undoubtedly has the trust of his fellow players and his new manager in this new chapter of his career.

And that is great news for the Stars and Stripes this summer.

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