Gio Reyna has to play consistently and perform well for U.S. men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino to consider him in 2026, the American revealed.
Reyna, once a key piece in USMNT plans, has not played for his country since March 23 in the Concacaf Nations League third place match. He has struggled for minutes at the club level in recent years amid a run of injuries.
The 22-year-old described the 2026 FIFA World Cup as, “somewhere where I need and want to be,” in an interview with the Associated Press.
“I think Pochettino was very clear with saying, ‘You need to play, perform and then if you do that then you have a good chance to come in again. It’s all on me now,” Reyna said.
Reyna Focusing on Staying Fit After Numerous Setbacks
They say availability is reliability, a trait Reyna has struggled to display for quite some time.
Multiple muscle injuries and a leg fracture have seen him miss considerable time in the last five years. Just last year, the former Borussia Dortmund man struggled for minutes at the club and national team level after dealing with a groin strain. He has not played 90 minutes in a professional league game since 2022.
Since moving to Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer, fitness and a thigh injury have resulted in just 120 minutes in the Bundesliga.
“I’ve learned a lot about my body That means treating fitness work as more of a dialog with the club’s athletic coaches and finding new ways to deal with the mental strain of yet another setback,” Reyna added.
Staying fit will be key if Reyna is to impress Pochettino.
Competition for Places
As Reyna searches for consistency, he also has to contend with those already impressing Pochettino on international duty.
Most notably is Malik Tillman, another American playing in the Bundesliga.
Reyna profiles mostly as an attacking midfielder, but has also played out wide on the wings. Tillman stood out during the Concacaf Gold Cup in a similar role as other household superstars were absent. Even with Pochettino seemingly ditching his 4-2-3-1 system, one that needs a creative midfielder, for a 3-4-3, Tillman excelled out wide in a friendly against Ecuador.
Also standing in Reyna’s way is Real Salt Lake standout Diego Luna, who was Pochettino’s first name off the bench to replace an injured Christian Pulisic against Australia.
All three, however, are of the same age profile. If Reyna is able to recapture the fitness and form that saw him succeed at Dortmund, the USMNT could have a wealth of attacking options come the World Cup on home soil.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Gio Reyna Details Path Back to USMNT as 2026 World Cup Approaches.