The Gio Reyna paradox: Why Pochettino called USMNT star 'different' ahead of World Cup roster decision

Now a year and a half into his tenure as USMNT head coach, Mauricio Pochettino has laid down a number of principles by which he has run his ship.

With just months until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the time is nearing where Pochettino must decide which 26 players will represent the United States at the biggest soccer competition in the world, played on home soil.

Pochettino has largely stuck to those principles throughout his time in charge of the U.S. national team, but one of his long-held tenets is beginning to come apart at the seams. The Argentine has long trumpeted quality performance at the club level as a sort of prerequisite for national-team call-ups, yet suddenly one player is challenging that firmly held commandment.

As Gio Reyna prepares for a second straight international camp and is firmly in the picture for a spot on the 2026 World Cup roster, there's the possibility that one of Pochettino's closest-held beliefs could be upended as decision time nears.

The Sporting News explains what Reyna has done to earn a spot on the March international roster, why Pochettino views him as "different" to the regular mantra, and how he could potentially find himself amongst those called in to lead the United States men at its most important tournament in the team's modern history.

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Pochettino labels Gio Reyna "different" despite not playing at club

For nearly his entire spell in charge, Pochettino has insisted that players must be playing well for their club in order to earn a spot in the national-team picture.

"The players not here, they don't need to be worried," Pochettino said back in August of 2025. "They need to perform, and they need to really believe that they can be part of the squad.

"It's up to them to perform and to show that they are desperate to come to the national team."

Yet as the 2026 World Cup approaches, that stance seems to have specific exceptions. One player in particular has been called in each of the last two international windows despite having barely played for his club.

Reyna has been an enigma in the U.S. national-team setup. While he continues to prove a valuable asset at the USMNT level, the conclusion of each international window brings the same result: a return to his club where he fails to gain any momentum towards additional playing time.

MORE: A closer look at the full USMNT roster for March games against Belgium and Portugal

Despite this, Pochettino has now called Reyna in for two straight international windows, and when challenged over the paradox of picking one of the U.S.'s best performers even while he does not impress for his club, the coach has seemingly softened on this requirement.

"It's important to train always giving your best, always on the top," Pochettino said after the release of the March USMNT roster when asked why Reyna was called in despite playing just 26 minutes for Gladbach in 2026. "It is not to say, 'OK, I am in my club 50% [effort] because after in the international team I'm going to play 100%.' No, I want the player to play in his best in the [club] team.

"Of course you can say to me, maybe Gio Reyna, Alex Freeman, they are not playing too much now. But it's different if you give your best and after you don't get game time."

Reyna has struggled for playing time throughout much of his club career. After failing to gain a foothold in the Borussia Dortmund rotation, where he began his career and played for the first five seasons minus a failed spell at Nottingham Forest, he joined Gladbach this past summer.

Despite the change of scenery, it has been more of the same for the American. He has made just four Bundesliga starts, and has been the case so often, just as he began to get a strong run in the side, he suffered an injury in late January that halted his progress.

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He has not scored a goal for Gladbach, yet he remains in Pochettino's USMNT squad, called in again after a strong November performance where he netted against Paraguay and was impressive against Uruguay while picking up an assist.

"I think Gio was fantastic in November with us," Pochettino said about his performances last time the national team convened. "I've seen everyone praised him for his game against Paraguay and then in the way that he was involved and committed with the with the team and with the national team."

Pochettino said that he wants to give Gio one more time to shine on the national-team level, knowing that chance may not come while he is in Germany playing for Gladbach.

"Before the last decision for the last roster for the World Cup, I think it's good to see players that maybe are not playing too much like in that case of Gio, but that is a very talented player," Pochettino said. "We know how he can add to the to the national team, and will see if he's affected about that and he is capable to perform with us again. We really know that he's a very special talented and very special player and I think to give the possibility even if he's not he's not playing too much in his club, it can be very useful for us."

MORE: All we know about Mauricio Pochettino's contract and salary in charge of the USMNT

Gio Reyna stats, goals, minutes played for USMNT and club Gladbach

As of the March 2026 international break, Reyna has only played 398 minutes of Bundesliga action this season.

He has also missed time due to muscle injuries, which are becoming a regular occurrence in the 23-year-old's career. He was absent for four of the team's first six matches of the season with a hamstring injury, and then missed a two-month chunk of time early in 2026, a five-game span in league play.

Gio Reyna for Borussia Monchengladbach in 2025/26

Gio Reyna for USMNT since 2022 World Cup

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Will Gio Reyna make the USMNT roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

It remains up in the air whether Reyna will make the USMNT roster for the 2026 World Cup, but the possibility is gaining steam.

If he performs well against Belgium and Portugal, like he did against Paraguay and Uruguay in the fall, it seems highly likely that he could be brought in by Pochettino this summer regardless of his club situation.

The biggest road block seems to be the fitness of those competing for places in his or similar positions. While Reyna was brought in this March, there are others — most notably, Pochettino favorite Diego Luna — who may still be ahead of him on the depth chart and only left out due to injury.

Haji Wright was also left off the roster this March while dealing with recovery, but he seems to be more in competition with Patrick Agyemang along the forward line.

If everyone is fit, Reyna is probably one of the first players left off the final 26-man World Cup roster. Yet as Pochettino seems to view it, if Reyna continues to perform well at the national-team level, can he really afford to cut a tangible asset for reasons beyond his control?

If Reyna logs another strong camp this March, it's hard to see the head coach letting external circumstances dictate his roster when the production is right in front of his eyes. These two friendlies seem to be an audition for Reyna in the truest sense.