Even in a heavy defeat, Gio Reyna has the U.S. men’s national team and the 2026 FIFA World Cup in his sights.
The American midfielder made his debut for Borussia Mönchengladbach on Sunday following his transfer from Borussia Dortmund. Yet, it didn’t go to plan, with a 4–0 defeat against Werder Bremen dropping Gladbach to 16th in the Bundesliga after three matches.
After arriving from Dortmund on a transfer worth up to a reported $7 million, Reyna did not appear in the club’s first two matches of the season with a focus on building up his fitness, before eventually making his first start on Sunday.
The 22-year-old played 74 minutes in the defeat, primarily taking on the No. 10 role, where he helped create a chance with a through ball to Robin Hack, and mustered three shots of his own on a day where his side were heavily outplayed.
While the loss won’t turn many heads, his return to regular minutes in the German top flight grabbed attention, especially with him expressing his belief and hope that he will be on Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT roster come the summer.
“I believe I will be there. That was one of the reasons for my move [to Gladbach],” he told BILD after the match. “I’m in open contact with the coach [Mauricio Pochettino]. If I play well here, I will definitely find my way back to the national team.
“I am now at a point where I want to take the next step and take my career to a higher level. I feel ready for it, that’s why I came to Gladbach.”
Should he hope to play at the World Cup, he will not only need to improve his form and play significant minutes, but earn a call to an earlier USMNT camp, after Pochettino said the team will start to focus on its World Cup roster build following a September window that featured a loss to South Korea and win against Japan.
Reyna’s American teammate, Joe Scally, did not see the pitch on Sunday and appears to be well down the list of defensive options for Pochettino, especially with the USMNT potentially maintaining a three-man backline in the future.
Gladbach return to Bundesliga action on Sept. 21 against Bayer Leverkusen, with Reyna and Scally eyeing October USMNT friendlies against Australia and Ecuador.
“Of course, I want to be back in [the USMNT], but I know that’s only possible with playing time and performing well,” Reyna said. “So that’s how it is. That’s how it should be also.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘I Will Be There’—Gio Reyna Makes Bold USMNT Claim After Disappointing Gladbach Debut.