Gio Reyna says four years changed him before 2026 World Cup

Gio Reyna says he is four years older heading into his second World Cup, and he wants that to show in how people talk about him. The USMNT midfielder said things have changed since Qatar, where his 2022 World Cup brought a wave of questions that followed him for three and a half years.

Reyna in Atlanta

“I’m four years older, and that's a really big difference,” Reyna said in Atlanta. He added, “It’s not just any four years, but from 19 to 23, I believe, in most people's lives, that is where a lot of people grow up.”

At 23 years old, he said the growth is broad rather than easy to pin to one moment: “I’ve grown in so many different ways it's hard to pinpoint one, but yeah, now that I'm here, I'm just looking forward to this moment.” That is the clearest break from the version of Reyna that has been debated since 2022.

Instagram Off His Phone

Reyna said he deleted Instagram from his phone to stop following the noise around him. He said he would rather spend time talking to family, sitting with his dog, and playing the PGA Tour video with his U.S. Men's National Team teammates.

That choice fits the way he described the pressure around his name. The discussion has touched his 2022 World Cup, form, fitness, injuries, attitude, perception, and reputation, and he said the response has had to come from both support and self-belief.

“It all comes from a good supporting group around you that keeps you going every day,” Reyna said. “Then, also, it has come from within, of course.”

World Cup Reset

For Reyna, the 2026 World Cup is not just another tournament appearance. It is a chance to change the story around him after years in which his reputation was picked apart alongside his performances and availability.

He has already put the change into words. He said, “It's hard, when you're in the moment, take a step back and think about it, but of course, things have changed.”

The test now is whether the version of Reyna entering his second World Cup looks and sounds like the player he says he has become: older, steadier, and done with chasing the comments on his phone.