"I obviously came here to play more" – Giovanni Reyna reflects on Gladbach struggles and burning World Cup ambition | OneFootball

Giovanni Reyna finally opened his account for Borussia Mönchengladbach last weekend, coming off the bench to score a consolation goal for Die Fohlen in their 3-1 defeat to FC Augsburg on the penultimate matchday of the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign.

While the goal couldn't prevent defeat, it marked another step towards top form for the 23-year-old United States international, who joined from Borussia Dortmund for €4 million last summer.

“It’s been a little while, but in the end, I’m just happy to score," Reyna said during a virtual media round on Tuesday, which Bulinews.com took part in. 

“It didn’t matter too much [for the result]. But more than that, it was good to get a good chunk of minutes, and I felt like I had a pretty good performance overall.”

Frustrating setbacks

Having been limited to just five starts in 19 games for Gladbach since his transfer, Reyna acknowledges that things haven't gone as he had hoped, with injury setbacks playing their part in hampering his progress.

“I obviously came here to play more. I was a bit unfortunate with two injuries that weren’t great timing, but I want to play more regardless. The last couple of weeks have been very good for me to get more minutes, and I felt like I had some good performances," said Reyna, who has been plagued by recurring injury problems throughout his career.

“Of course, being injured sucks. You never want to be injured. But I try to take what I can from each injury. I’ve been a bit unlucky at times with the length of the injuries and the timing also, but I’m feeling good now, doing all I can 24 hours a day to stay fit and give it my all in training.”

Heading into Gladbach's final game of the season against Hoffenheim on Saturday, Reyna feels in great form and is looking to finish the campaign strongly to put himself in the best possible position for a call-up to the United States squad for the World Cup.

“I don’t know if any player is ever 100 percent. There are always knocks and things that come up at this point in the season. But I feel ready to play 90 minutes and feel that I can give my max at this moment in time. So I guess you could say 100 percent. I feel very, very fit and sharp," he said.

"The season’s coming to an end now, so hopefully we can just finish off with one more good game this weekend, both as a team and me individually. I hope to go to the World Cup and continue with the form I’m building on.”

The World Cup dream

Reyna has been a part of the last two USMNT camps in November and this past spring, featuring in four consecutive games under coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Now, he faces an anxious wait, hoping to be part of a historic World Cup at home.

“It’s on everyone’s mind. No spot is guaranteed or safe. It’s simple: I want to be there. It’s a World Cup in your home country. It’s obvious that you think about it pretty often. I try not to let it take over my day and stress me out too much, but it’s in the back of my mind, like I’m sure it is for many other players. I want to be there, I want to represent my country, and I want to give everything to the team. That’s all I can really say," Reyna said.

“The team means a lot to me. I’ve had very good moments with this team over the last couple of years. So I’d love to be there and to have an impact. It would be a dream to represent my country at the World Cup.”

When asked if he feels he has done enough to earn his place in the squad, Reyna found it difficult to give a definitive answer.

“If I say no, I’m not backing myself, and if I say yes, it’s the arrogant answer where I feel like I should be there. So it’s a hard question to answer," Reyna admitted.

“I love the staff, I love the players, and I love the national team. Whatever happens, happens. I’m really hoping and wanting to be there to make an impact and achieve something great with the team, but the decision is out of my hands. I’m just hoping and waiting for the call-up, which would be an honor.”