The U.S. international has expressed excitement about returning to his home country with Borussia Dortmund for the Club World Cup
American midfielder highlights personal significance of tournamentTwenty-two-year-old eager to serve as a cultural ambassadorDortmund player confident in team's ability to make deep runWatch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED
Borussia Dortmund and U.S. international midfielder Giovanni Reyna has shared his enthusiasm about competing in the FIFA Club World Cup on American soil, calling the opportunity to represent his German club in his home country "super fun" and personally meaningful. The 22-year-old New York native, who joined Dortmund from New York City FC's academy in 2019, specifically mentioned looking forward to having his family and friends attend matches while serving as an informal guide for his European teammates.
“Playing on home spoil with a national team or a club is always super fun for myself and I’m looking forward to bringing some of the guys in the club over to my area and showing them a few things and answering questions about my country and I’m excited to play the tournament in front of my home fans,” Reyna said in an interview with DAZN.
“I’m very excited. For me, all of my family and friends are in the area, and there is no place like home as they say and we are going to have to be ready to go and we are going to want to beat any team in the tournament. It’s not going to be a walk in the park against these teams, like anyone who has made it has had to qualify and they deserve to be here so it shows what they did in the past is successful and hopefully we get the win but we expect a lot of energy and of course from the fans a lot of support.
The 22-year-old touched upon how the football culture in the country has changed since he was a child and how it’s still growing a lot but Dortmund have a big following in the country despite that.
“The soccer culture is growing in America, and there are a lot of kids who are really getting into the game and falling in love with teams over here, and I know that Dortmund has a big following back in America also. I expect a lot of fans for us and all the teams in the tournament," he said.
He added, “You know watching on the TV is so different to seeing it live and to see someone that you support so much and are passionate about watching it live is very different to watching it on TV, there is a different feeling and energy that you get and they are probably very desperate for this moment to see us live and for us now is really about putting on entertaining football for them to watch."
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The former New York City FC youth product also revealed that the club’s goal is to win the tournament, put on a good performance, and make a deep run in the tournament.
“Our goal going to this tournament is for sure to try and win it and put on a good performance at this tournament, the Club World Cup, and make a deep run. Of course, it's going to be difficult to win the type of tournaments with the quality in them,” Reyna further said.
“This is going to be something that the U.S. hasn’t seen and the exposure for the sport in the next two years is really going to grow and grow and when you have teams like Dortmund and Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Man City, where all the best players in the world are playing, it makes you want to check in and follow.
"We believe we can go into every tournament to try and win it, you know it’s going to be difficult, but we will try and make a run and see where it goes from there. The main goal is, for sure, to believe in ourselves and see where it goes.”
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
After an inconsistent 2024–25 campaign that cast doubt on Gio Reyna’s future, the 22-year-old now appears poised to play a role in FIFA’s tournament. Reyna made just 16 Bundesliga appearances last season, scoring twice. But as he looks to put a difficult year behind him, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder headlines a trio of Americans traveling to the event, joined by Cole Campbell and Mathis Albert.
The tournament marks a major milestone for soccer in the United States, as it hosts its first FIFA Club World Cup—a key stepping stone ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?
Borussia Dortmund will begin their FIFA Club World Cup campaign in Group F, facing Brazilian champions Fluminense, South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns, and South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai. Their tournament opener against Fluminense is scheduled for June 17 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, followed by matches against Sundowns on June 21 and Ulsan on June 25 in Ohio.