Gio Reyna is back with the U.S. men’s national team for the first time since March.
The 22-year-old 2022 World Cup veteran has made just one 21-minute cameo for his country since Mauricio Pochettino, the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager, took over as USMNT coach more than a year ago. Reyna has also played sparingly for new club Borussia Mönchengladbach since leaving German Bundesliga rival Borussia Dortmund in August.
However, usual starting attackers Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah are unavailable this month because of injury. Malik Tillman just returned to action after missing three-plus weeks with a hamstring strain he sustained while on U.S. duty last month.
That has given Reyna, who helped the U.S. win a trio of Concacaf Nations League titles between 2021-24, the chance to get on Pochettino’s final roster of the year.
“He’s a special player,” Pochettino said of Reyna during a video conference with reporters on Thursday, shortly after announcing his squad ahead of this month’s 2026 World Cup tuneups versus two South American powers: Paraguay on Nov. 15 in Chester, Pennsylvania, and Uruguay on Nov. 18 in Tampa.
Mauricio Pochettino on why Gio Reyna is back with USMNT: ‘He has enormous talent’
“We already know the potential of Gio, and the talent. He has enormous, enormous talent,” Pochettino added. “It’s true that is not playing too much, but I think it’s a good opportunity in November, because until March we are not going to be together again and [there are] not too many possibilities to see him.”
Forward Ricardo Pepi returns for the first time since November 2024. The PSV striker scored in each of his first three appearances for Pochettino but underwent knee surgery in February after getting hurt in a UEFA Champions League win over Liverpool.
Though he has yet to win back his starting job for the Dutch champs, he’s averaging a goal every 81 minutes in the Eredivisie and Champions League. On Tuesday, he helped PSV salvage a point with a late tally off the bench against Olympiacos. It was Pepi’s third result-changing goal in second-half stoppage time in the Champions League, equaling Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Agüero for the most in the competition’s history.
“Pepi is not playing too much,” Pochettino acknowledged. “With Ricardo, [the idea] is to provide a big boost in the motivation for him to keep keep pushing, keep improving,” Pochettino said. “The [players] need to know that they are in the race for the competition and for a place in the roster in the World Cup.”
Ricardo Pepi returns to the USMNT mix for the first time since 2024. (Photo by Marcel van Dorst/EYE4images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Not only has fellow striker Folarin Balogun, been playing, he’s also been in fine form in Europe’s top club tournament, having scored Monaco’s Champions League winner over Bodo/Glimt earlier this week.
Pochettino Talks Players Not in Camp
Besides the injured Pulisic, Tillman and Weah, several other regulars were omitted despite being available. Central defender Chris Richards, a stalwart for Premier League Crystal Palace, was left in London, presumably to rest the calf injury Eagles manager Oliver Glasner says the Alabama native has been nursing this fall.
Standout midfielder Weston McKennie will remain with Juventus, which recently hired yet another new manager, the Texan’s fourth since joining the Italian powerhouse five years ago.
“I think it’s important for Weston to be there and try to convince the coach to keep playing [him],” Pochettino said. “It’s more important than maybe being with us, because we already know what he can provide the team.”
Christian Pulisic will sit out the USMNT November games. (Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)
First-choice left back Antonee “Jedi” Robinson is still having knee issues that have prevented him from making even one start for London club Fulham this Premier League season.
“We are in contact, our medical staff, with the medical staff of Fullam,” Pochettino said. “Yes, we are worried, of course.”
And there was no place for goalkeeper Matt Turner, who started all four games for the Americans at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Turner isn’t scheduled to play another competitive match until the New England Revolution kick off the new MLS season in February. Yunus Musah, another mainstay in Qatar, was left out for the fourth consecutive camp; Musah came off the bench for Atalanta Wednesday and helped the Italian side preserve a 1-0 win over a Weah-less Marseille in UEFA Champions League action.
“Chris, Weston and Yunus — we really know them,” Pochettino said. “For different reasons, we decided not to call them. Gio is a special situation, I think.
“I can’t explain every single situation,” continued the coach. “Too many players that we are not calling maybe should be here with us. But always, what we want is to do the best thing for the player.”
Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson recently scored their first Premier League goals this season. Adams missed the October exhibitions because of the birth of his second child.
The meeting with Paraguay represents a homecoming for four Philadelphia Union alums, as Aaronson, keeper Matt Freese, and central defenders Mark McKenzie and Auston Trusty all return to Subaru Park.
Fourteen of the 25 men summoned by Pochettino play for European clubs. With Liga MX-based Alex Zendejas (knee injury) still out, the remaining 11 are MLS-based. Right back Alex Freeman was recently voted the 2025 MLS Young Player of the Year. Freeman, Sebastian Berhalter and Cristian Roldan were named to MLS’s Best XI on Wednesday, as was injured Vancouver defender Tristan Blackmon.
The 25 invited players, listed below, will begin reporting to the Philadelphia area following this weekend’s slate of club matches in MLS and overseas.
Full List
Goalkeepers: Roman Celentano, FC Cincinnati (MLS); Matt Freese, New York City FC (MLS); Jonathan Klinsmann, Cesena (Italy): Patrick Schulte, Columbus Crew (MLS)
Defenders: Max Arfsten, Columbus; Sergino Dest, PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands); Alex Freeman, Orlando City (MLS); Mark McKenzie, Toulouse (France); Tim Ream, Charlotte (MLS); Miles Robinson, Cincinnati; Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany); John Tolkin, Holstein Kiel (Germany); Auston Trusty, Celtic (Scotland)
Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Bournemouth (England), Sebastian Berhalter, Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Aidan Morris, Middlesbrough (England); Gio Reyna, Borussia Mönchengladbach; Cristian Roldan, Seattle Sounders (MLS); Tanner Tessmann, Lyon (MLS); Sean Zawadzki, Columbus
Forwards: Brenden Aaronson, Leeds United (England); Folarin Balogun, AS Monaco (France); Diego Luna, Real Salt Lake (MLS), Ricardo Pepi, PSV; Haji Wright, Coventry City (England)
Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.
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