"I'm a true New Yorker," Gio Reyna told L'Équipe recently, speaking from northeastern France. It's an odd place to find your identity — but then, Reyna's career has never followed a straight line.
The 23-year-old has spent years accumulating the kind of baggage that kills careers: recurring injuries, peripheral roles, a family scandal that dragged his name through the mud during Gregg Berhalter's tenure. When Mauricio Pochettino handed him a 2026 World Cup roster spot over proven options like Tanner Tessmann, Diego Luna, and Aidan Morris, the backlash was immediate. It looked like sentiment over sense.
Then Reyna scored a trivela in the tournament opener against Paraguay, made four appearances, and Strasbourg signed him to a five-year deal. Suddenly the gamble had a return.
Two goals in seven games — already ahead of last season's pace
At Borussia Mönchengladbach, Reyna scored twice in 20 appearances. He's already matched that in seven games for Strasbourg. On Saturday, he was the only player to score in a 3-1 defeat to PSG — not a result to celebrate, but a signal worth noting about where his confidence is sitting right now.
He's playing in a dressing room that suits him, too. "In Strasbourg, there are players from everywhere, with African, South American, Scandinavian roots," he said. "I try to absorb a little bit of everyone every day." That's not a PR line — Reyna was born in Sunderland, raised in New York, played in Dortmund, had a stint at Nottingham Forest, and carries Irish, Argentinian, and Portuguese heritage through his parents Danielle and Claudio. Cultural absorption is basically his default setting.
New York, though, is where it all anchors. He lived there from ages 5 to 16, his wife is from there, and he's already bought a house there. "This city is a melting pot... that makes it the most beautiful place in the world," he said. "With the mentality of always wanting to keep moving forward, even when things get tougher." He'd know.
Bellingham, versatility, and the fight for a starting spot
Reyna cites Jude Bellingham — a former Dortmund teammate — as one of his biggest inspirations, specifically for how the Real Madrid man has adapted across positions without losing his influence. "Jude, who can play at a very high level in many different positions, is incredibly inspiring to me," he said.
The comparison matters because Pochettino is going to need the same flexibility from Reyna. The USMNT's midfield picture got more crowded after the September-October international window, and Malik Tillman is a serious competitor for the No. 10 role. Reyna started all four fall friendlies and contributed two assists, but locking down that spot through 2030 — when the U.S. co-hosts again — means being useful centrally and wide.
He started at NYCFC's academy. He could end up a cornerstone of the 2030 squad on home soil. The arc is there. Right now, so is the form.
