USMNT star Gio Reyna finds glamour and grit in Ligue 1

When United States Men's National Team attacker Gio Reyna broke through at Borussia Dortmund in 2019, he became the latest in a long line of American prospects tasked with changing the face of global soccer.

"I think for Gio, really, the sky's the limit," said Christian Pulisic, himself a member of the same elite club. "He's got a bright future ahead of him."

It's hard to classify Reyna's progress since those heady days of the late 2010s. On one hand, he's stayed in Europe, performed admirably for the USMNT at two World Cups and developed into one of American soccer's most famous faces ... but on the other, he's struggled to find playing time and hasn't quite lived up to the "sky's the limit" billing he received in his youth.

It all comes down to consistency. Reyna hasn't really had it since his teenage days in the States. Injuries, off-field controversies and endless coaching changes have kept him sidelined season after season. He missed huge swaths of the USMNT's World Cup preparations, to the point where his inclusion in the team's final roster was met with genuine surprise. In 2024-25, Reyna started just three domestic league games; in 2025-26, he started just four.

With the 2026 World Cup fading in the rearview mirror and a new era of American soccer beginning under coach Mauricio Pochettino, Reyna finally appears to be hitting his stride. He's found consistency for club and country for the first time in years — and that could set up him as a crucial part of American soccer's next phase.

Newfound grit for club and country

The United States Men's National Team bounced back from its World Cup exit with four friendlies against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada in the fall international window. It won all four matches with an aggregate score of 12-3, and it did so with a young, heavily rotated lineup filled with the next generation of USMNT stars.

It's clear that the USMNT used those four matches to experiment, but every good experiment needs a control — and for Pochettino, that control was Reyna. He was the only player to start in all four matches, and his performances in each were thoughtful, consistent and utterly foundational for the team.

From there, Reyna returned to Strasbourg and held onto his form. He came on as a substitute in his team's 2-1 loss to Nice immediately after the international break, then played the full 90 minutes — and scored the opening goal — in its crucial clash against Paris Saint Germain a week later.