Gio Reyna celebrates Paraguay goal—then reveals baby news

After scoring the final goal in the U.S. men’s national team’s 4-1 win over Paraguay at SoFi Stadium, Gio Reyna marked his celebration with a private gesture—then publicly revealed that his wife, Chloe, is expecting.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Gio Reyna’s celebration at SoFi Stadium started with a message meant for people closest to him.

With the U.S. men’s national team midfielder scoring with the last kick of the game on Friday night, Reyna pulled his hands over his ears as he wheeled away in triumph. Hours later, he explained that first reaction was an inside joke—one he and his friends wanted to keep private.

Then came the next celebration. After covering his ears, Reyna put the ball underneath his jersey and slipped his thumb into his mouth, a widely recognized gesture in soccer that signals a family might be growing.

Reyna told reporters after the match that his wife, Chloe, was expecting. He said he had known for a while, but had been waiting for the right moment to tell the world—and scoring in a World Cup seemed like the cleanest possible timing.

“I’ve known for a couple months now, so I was waiting for the perfect time,” he said. “This sort of felt like it.”

The moment landed on a night the U.S. opened the tournament in front of home fans with one of its most convincing performances. Reyna’s goal helped complete a 4-1 win over Paraguay, giving the team an ideal start to the tournament on home soil.

For U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, the backdrop to the win included pressure around his continued backing of Reyna. The midfielder had another underwhelming season at the club level with Borussia Mönchengladbach. and Reyna has remained one of the most scrutinized players in the setup. But Friday’s match followed a familiar pattern: when he wears the U.S. crest, his level rises.

Just as important, Reyna’s contribution came after a personal chapter that is hard to forget. Four years after the personal nightmare of the 2022 World Cup, he began this 2026 tournament in the best way imaginable. Reyna said that banishing the demons of 2022 “wasn’t on my mind at all” when he stepped onto the field. but his performance did plenty to blunt the weight of that earlier experience.

His World Cup story this time began with a different kind of statement. In his first tournament appearance, he nearly got sent home, then underwhelmed on the field. In contrast. his second go-around started with an audacious strike off the bench—an exceptional outside-of-the-boot finish that sealed a statement win against Paraguay.

It was also a reminder of what Reyna still has in his arsenal, even as his stock dipped over the past few years. He didn’t frame it that way afterward; instead, he talked like a player focused on the job in front of him.

“I’m always confident, so that was never really a problem for me,” he said. “For me it’s simple, whatever I can do to help this team, I’m going to do.”

The sequence of Friday’s details—the late goal. the first celebration as a private nod. and then the gesture that pointed to something bigger—made one thing clear: Reyna’s World Cup isn’t just about football anymore. It’s also about timing, resetting, and turning a difficult past into something you can build forward.

With the U.S. off to a strong start at home, Reyna’s night will be remembered for two reasons: a match-defining finish and a public reveal that his family is about to expand.

Gio Reyna Chloe Reyna USMNT Paraguay 2026 World Cup SoFi Stadium Mauricio Pochettino Borussia Monchengladbach World Cup goal