‘He’s in the Squad’ – Gio Reyna Told What He Must Do to Make USMNT World Cup Roster as Brad Friedel Laments ‘Injury After Injury After Injury’

Reyna’s Dream: Making the USMNT World Cup Squad on Home Soil

For any American player, the idea of playing at a World Cup is a career-defining ambition. For Gio Reyna, the dream carries even more weight. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will not only be the most high-profile tournament in the sport’s history but will also be staged on home soil in the United States. Every young player growing up in the country has fantasized about being part of such a moment, and for Reyna, the chance is tantalizingly close.

Yet, standing in his way has been the same problem over and over: injuries. The gifted playmaker has suffered, in Brad Friedel’s blunt words, from “injury after injury after injury.” For someone once touted as the jewel of the USMNT’s new golden generation, the constant setbacks have left fans wondering whether Reyna can ever fulfill the sky-high expectations.

Friedel, though, isn’t writing him off. The former USMNT goalkeeper believes that if Reyna can find consistency in the coming months, he’ll have every chance of making it onto Mauricio Pochettino’s roster for the biggest tournament of them all.

Reyna on the Move: Farewell to Borussia Dortmund

The first step toward reviving his career came this summer when Reyna finally severed ties with Borussia Dortmund. For years, speculation swirled about his future at the Signal Iduna Park. Every transfer window seemed to link him to a fresh list of clubs across Europe. Yet, he stayed put—until now.

With playing time at a premium, Reyna knew he needed a reset. The arrival of new signings at Dortmund and his recurring injuries had pushed him further down the pecking order. When Borussia Mönchengladbach offered him a chance at regular minutes, Reyna took the leap.

The move, on paper, makes sense. Gladbach may not have Dortmund’s Champions League pedigree, but it offers Reyna something far more valuable at this stage: a clean slate.

Borussia Mönchengladbach v SV Werder Bremen – Bundesliga

Fresh Start at Gladbach: A Point to Prove

Signing with Gladbach until 2028, Reyna has shown that he’s willing to commit long-term to a project that gives him stability. For him, the immediate goal is clear: play games, stay fit, and rediscover the rhythm that once made him one of Europe’s brightest young attacking midfielders.

Reyna himself has spoken of the excitement he feels about the fresh start. For too long, his career narrative has been about what he might become rather than what he is. Now, he wants to change that story.

But football has a cruel sense of timing. His debut for Gladbach came against Werder Bremen, and instead of a fairytale beginning, he endured a difficult 74 minutes in a heavy 4-0 defeat. It wasn’t the homecoming fans might have dreamed of, but it was a start nonetheless.

World Cup Calling: A Serious Target in 2026

For Reyna, club football in the Bundesliga is important, but there is a bigger prize on the horizon. The World Cup in 2026 looms large, with the USMNT set to play on home soil alongside co-hosts Canada and Mexico.

The last World Cup ended in frustration for Reyna. Between the injuries and the much-publicized fallout with then-coach Gregg Berhalter, his tournament in Qatar was overshadowed by controversy. This time, there can be no distractions.

If Reyna wants to be in the squad—and not just as a fringe option—he must show that he can be relied upon week after week. That’s exactly where Friedel’s advice comes in.

Friedel Offers His Opinion: ‘Minutes and No Injuries’

Speaking in association with Casinobernie and quoted by GOAL, Brad Friedel pulled no punches when asked about Reyna’s World Cup prospects.

“With Gio, a lot of unfortunate stuff from the last World Cup, then injury after injury after injury. Talented, talented player. For Gio, he needs minutes and he needs not to be injured. Then we can see before the World Cup if he is ready. If he is, if he has a run of four or five months with no injuries, playing lots of minutes, he’s in the squad.”

The words are as straightforward as they come. Friedel isn’t questioning Reyna’s technical ability—far from it. He even called him “one of the better ones we have.” The issue, time and again, is his body’s failure to hold up to the demands of elite football.

It’s a sobering reality for a player once compared to Europe’s brightest starlets.

Gio Reyna USMNT 2024

‘Something Was Off’: Friedel’s Copa America Observation

Friedel went further, recalling his impressions of Reyna at the Copa America:

“When I took the job at Besiktas, I was over at the Copa America and was watching. You could just tell there was something a little bit off. It’s not his ability, that is there. That’s not it. His body has unfortunately not cooperated with this sport.”

For a former USMNT legend to say such a thing shows both the concern and the hope surrounding Reyna. Everyone knows he has the tools to be special. Everyone knows he can change games with a single touch. But none of that matters if he cannot stay on the pitch.

Staying Fit: The Key to Unlocking Potential

So, what does Reyna need? Consistency. He must string together four, five, six months of football without breaking down. He must get his minutes up, not just training but in competitive matches.

If he does that, Friedel insists, “he’s in the squad.”

The USMNT, after all, isn’t exactly overflowing with creative playmakers. Reyna, when healthy, is arguably the most talented midfielder in the pool. His ability to carry the ball, create chances, and unlock defenses is unmatched among his peers. That’s why even after years of setbacks, his name still dominates conversations.

Debut Disappointment but Long-Term Goals

The 4-0 defeat to Bremen may have been a poor start, but Reyna and Gladbach will not be judged on one game. For Reyna, this isn’t about instant fireworks. It’s about building confidence, building fitness, and proving that his body can handle the grind of a Bundesliga season.

If he achieves that, then not only will Gladbach benefit, but so will the USMNT. Pochettino, now tasked with guiding the Americans into the 2026 tournament, will be watching closely.

Friedel put it bluntly: “Hopefully for him it goes well. He’s a really good kid and I hope he just stays fit, gets a run of games and then it will be down to Mauricio [Pochettino] choosing him or not. I don’t like to see anybody get left out because of injury.”

Conclusion: The Road to Redemption Is Still Open

The story of Gio Reyna is still being written. He is only 22 years old, and while injuries have made his path far more difficult than anyone expected, time is still on his side.

The move to Gladbach represents a chance at redemption, a chance to show that he can shake off the reputation of being fragile and instead reclaim the narrative of being one of the brightest American players of his generation.

If he stays fit, if he racks up the minutes, and if he delivers even a fraction of what we know he can, then Gio Reyna will be in the squad for the World Cup. And when the USMNT walks out onto the field on home soil in the summer of 2026, the roar of the crowd will be even louder if Reyna is among them.

Because despite the setbacks, despite the frustration, despite the “injury after injury after injury,” the dream is still alive.

And for Gio Reyna, the dream has never mattered more.