Why This Bundesliga Benchwarmer Earned a USMNT Roster Spot

Gio Reyna has played just 26 minutes of first-team soccer with Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2026. Still, U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino sees him as a “very special talent and very special player,” ahead of March international friendlies.

While the now 23-year-old has not played regularly at the club level since 2022–23, his national team sees him as a potential key contributor to the 2026 World Cup, and he is set to face Belgium and Portugal this month in Atlanta.

His inclusion is a split from Pochettino’s previous pushes for players to be in-form at the club level. While that split doesn’t apply to everyone, notably Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna, who was central to World Cup kit marketing materials but left off the squad, it will allow Reyna to continue chasing a spot on the team.

“[Reyna] is a very talented player,” Pochettino said. “We know how he can add to the national team ... And he is capable of performing with us. I think to give the possibility, even if it's not playing too much in his club, it can be very useful for us.”

Gio Reyna modeled the USMNT World Cup kit. | John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

After Reyna was previously exiled from the USMNT due to a spat between himself, his father—USMNT legend Claudio Reyna—and previous manager Gregg Berhalter, Pochettino has reopened the door to Reyna’s inclusion—especially due to the midfielder’s young age.

In the fall, Reyna scored in the win against Paraguay and had an assist off the bench in a 5–1 dismantling of Uruguay, proving that he can be a key contributor, even without club stardom.

“Gio was fantastic in November with us,” Pochettino said. “I think everyone praised him in his game against Paraguay and then the way he was involved and committed with the national team. I was really happy in all the aspects, the factors in which he was involved.”

While the English-born midfielder has not scored at the club level with either Mönchengladbach or Borussia Dortmund in over a year, he has been lively in his 398 Bundesliga minutes this season. He dealt with a thigh injury and fitness concerns earlier in the season, but has been an unused substitute with the first team since February.

With the USMNT this month, he will likely get the opportunity to play a central role in the 3-5-2, potentially alongside fellow Bundesliga midfielder Malik Tillman and Vancouver Whitecaps’ Sebastian Berhalter, son of Gregg Berhalter.

Pulisic’s Form Not a Concern

Reyna is not the only out-of-form club player joining the USMNT camp, as talismanic attacker Christian Pulisic arrives without a goal in his last 11 appearances with AC Milan.

The Serie A midfielder is still enjoying regular playing time following a mix of injuries, and his eight goals and two assists from earlier in the campaign have lofted his stat line, even if there has been little production in recent months.

“I never measure the performance of the teams, or the clubs,” Pochettino said this week about the 27 year old, who did not feature in the November window due to a sustained injury against Australia in October.

“He’s not scoring, but to me it’s not only about scoring goals,” the manager added. “I am happy with the way he is performing, his commitment to the team, and the time he is playing. I think it’s a great opportunity for him to join us and perform with us to try to help him to arrive in the best condition to be in a good position to be selected for the last roster.”

Pochettino is expected to name his World Cup roster in May, with sights set on bringing just 26 players to the final tune-up friendlies against Germany and Senegal in June, before the June 12 World Cup opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles.

Pulisic’s Form Not a Concern

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