LOS ANGELES STADIUM — With victory already in hand deep into stoppage time of the U.S. men’s national team’s 2026 World Cup opener Friday night, the Americans simply needed to maintain possession and run out the clock. Over the course of 70 seconds before the final whistle blew, the USA strung together 26 passes that zigzagged the field, culminating in a stunning goal by Gio Reyna to seal a 4-1 rout. Reyna scored on a brilliant trivela, using the outside of his right foot to put just enough spin on the ball to send it beyond Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gil. “My parents and my wife have been telling me to shoot more,” Reyna told me and reporters after the match with a sheepish grin. “I know I have a good shot, but I’m conditioned to pass first, and they want me to be a little bit more selfish at times.” This was the moment to do it. After a composed and patient buildup, Reyna received a pass from Alex Freeman just outside the box. He took one touch to push forward into space, then pulled off an incredibly difficult move to score his first-ever World Cup goal and send the already exuberant crowd at Los Angeles Stadium into another level of euphoria. “We see stuff from him like that every day,” said Christian Pulisic, who contributed to two goals in the first half. “So it’s not like a crazy surprise. And he deserves it. It’s great to see him pull it off in a moment like this.” After the goal, 23-year-old Reyna celebrated by putting the ball inside his shirt and pretending to suck his thumb as a shout-out to his wife, Chloe, who is expecting their first child. This is all to say that the moment represented how things have come full circle for Reyna and his recent history with the national team. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a then-20-year-old Reyna was at the center of controversy that overshadowed the team’s performance in the tournament when his immature attitude nearly got him sent home. Reyna’s lack of playing time led to a highly publicized fallout between former manager Gregg Berhalter and Reyna’s parents, U.S. Soccer legend Claudio Reyna and former U.S. women’s national team player Danielle Reyna. Previously, the families had been longtime friends. For the past few years, the conversation around Reyna has been dominated by that drama. His inclusion on Mauricio Pochettino’s World Cup roster was a source of debate for some, not only because of what transpired in Qatar but also because he wasn’t playing regularly for German club Borussia Mönchengladbach. But Pochettino has been clear in his comments about Reyna, consistently expressing trust in the player and belief in his talent. After the goal, the manager sprinted down the sideline to celebrate, embracing him in an emotional hug. Over the past few weeks, Reyna has repeatedly faced questions from curious reporters about the last World Cup. Each time, he has said that he’s grown from the experience and is focused on the present. He wants to move on. Sebastian Berhalter, who grew up with Reyna, has also found himself fielding questions about everything that went down with his father. But he usually doesn’t engage. After Friday’s match, a reporter asked Berhalter how it felt being on the field with Reyna since both came on as substitutes in the second half. “It’s not a story between me and him,” Berhalter said without hesitation. “We’re on the same team, and, for us, it’s just about winning games for the national team. He scored an incredible goal, he’s an incredible player, and yeah, we want to make each other better. And we’re fighting for the common goal to win games for our country.” Perhaps now, after a magnificent goal that few can execute, any lingering questions or bad feelings from four years ago can finally be put to rest.
