Football

USA star turned down ‘opportunities from other countries’ to represent USMNT

USA star turned down ‘opportunities from other countries’ to represent USMNT

USA attacker Giovanni Reyna says he turned down “opportunities from other countries” in order to play for the United States Men’s National Team.

Reyna has perhaps one of the most mixed backgrounds in all of football. He was born in England, while his father – ex-Manchester City and Rangers midfielder Claudio Reyna – was born in the USA.

His grandfather meanwhile was born in Argentina, with his grandmother’s background meaning he is also eligible to represent Portugal.

But as reported by SportsCenter, Reyna was never in doubt about which country to play for. His decision to play for the USA came despite being contacted by other nations.

USA star reveals “flattering” interest from other nations

Reyna, who turned 20 earlier this month, already has 14 USMNT caps to his name. He worked his way through the youth ranks before being handed a debut in 2020 aged 17.

That debut came against Wales, with Reyna then scoring on just his second appearance with a free-kick against Panama.

Despite interest from other nations, Reyna says his mind was always focused on representing the USA.

When asked if he ever received a call from Argentina or Portugal to join their national teams, Reyna replied: “Yeah, there were opportunities in other countries, but for me it was pretty clear that I wanted to play for the USA the whole time.

“So yeah, it’s flattering when those countries come in and show interest and contact you, but for me it was the USA the whole time.”

Reyna recovering from injury just in time

Reyna has had a somewhat stop-start campaign for Dortmund this season. His time on the pitch has been disrupted by various injury struggles.

But importantly for the USMNT, their star attacker is now back in action. He featured heavily in Dortmund’s last five Bundesliga matches before the break, scoring twice.

The forward also played a key role in his club’s final two Champions League group stages matches, with the draws against Manchester City and Copenhagen helping secure a spot in the last 16 of the competition.

Reyna played youth football for New York City FC before his switch to Dortmund in 2019. He has now made almost 100 appearances for the German side, scoring 12 goals in that time.

The USA take on Wales in their opening World Cup match on November 21. Meetings with England and Iran follow on November 25 and 29 respectively.

USA

USA attacker’s passion runs in the family

Reyna’s father Claudio had a stellar career at both club and international level, with his mother Danielle also playing for the USA. His grandfather Miguel meanwhile played professionally in Argentina.

Last month, the Borussia Dortmund attacker revealed that, alongside his own nation, he will be cheering on Lionel Messi and Co. at the 2022 World Cup.

When asked if he knows the story of his grandfather, Reyna replied: “Yeah I think he played for Independiente, but I’m not sure what happened then, I don’t think he played too many games for the first team.

“But it’s in his blood too and he’s very passionate about the sport also.”


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