Reyna: I'm excited to play in front of home fans

• Reyna is "very excited" to take part in FIFA Club World Cup
• The midfielder is one of three USA stars in Dortmund's squad
• He spoke to FIFA about following in his father Claudio's footsteps

Borussia Dortmund will have a distinctive American feel at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ with three USA players in the club's squad — Gio Reyna, Cole Campbell and Mathis Albert.

Reyna, who grew up in the New York area, is the most high-profile of the three as the son of former USA international Claudio Reyna and having represented his country at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

The 22-year-old has been in and out of the Dortmund side this season, making 25 appearances in total. As such, the global showpiece in the USA provides the perfect opportunity for Reyna to rediscover his form and try to help nail down a place in Mauricio Pochettino's squad for the FIFA World Cup 26™.

Ahead of Dortmund's Club World Cup opener against Fluminense FC at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday, Reyna spoke to FIFA about his excitement about taking part in potentially two global tournaments on home soil in the next two years.

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FIFA: How excited are you to take part in the Club World Cup? 

Gio Reyna: Very excited. Playing on home soil with the (USA) national team or my club is always super-fun for myself and I’m looking forward to bringing some of the guys and the club over to (the area where I grew up) and show them a few things and answering their questions about my country. I’m just excited to play a tournament in front of my home fans. 

What do you expect the atmosphere to be like? 

I expect it to be great. The soccer culture is very much still growing in America, and there are a lot of kids that are really getting into the game and falling in love with teams over here, and I know Dortmund has a big following back in America also. So, I expect a lot of fans for us and for all the teams in the tournament that participate. 

What are your thoughts on facing Fluminense at the MetLife Stadium?

Obviously, (they are) two huge clubs in the world of football. Of course, in Brazil and in South America, Fluminense has a great history, and I know there are a lot of Brazilians and Fluminense fans in (the New York New Jersey area). So, I expect a lot of fans, obviously, good football from both teams, as they have a lot of quality too. We are going to have to be ready to go if we want to beat any team in this tournament. It’s not a walk in the park against these teams — anyone who makes it (to the Club World Cup) you have to have qualify and they deservedly did. Hopefully, we get the win, but we expect a lot of energy and, of course, from the fans, a lot of support.  

What does it mean to you to play in the stadium that will also host the FIFA World Cup 26 final?

I have been in that stadium many times to watch games - American football, Copa America and (USA) national team. It’s one of those stadiums that I’ve watched so much growing up that it’s maybe going to be a little bit strange to actually be on the pitch there, but I’m very excited. For all my family and friends in the area... I’m going to have to get a lot of tickets for them. But, no, it should be fun and I’m really looking forward to it. 

How many requests have you had for tickets? 

I don’t know! I’m going to have to speak with our team manager from Dortmund, and maybe ask how many can I get, and then, go off from there. But I expect at least 50, maybe closer to 70 or 80, but, yeah, we’ll see. Hopefully, as many as possible. I always love to have support from my family and friends.

What can Dortmund achieve at this tournament? What are your goals?  

I think our goal going into this tournament is, for sure, trying to win it. We went to the (UEFA) Champions League final last year, and we’ve made good runs in the Champions League in the past, and, for me, the Champions League is the most difficult competition in the world, and if we see ourselves doing well there consistently, surely, we can put on a good performance at this tournament... and make a deep run. So, of course, it’s difficult to win these kinds of tournaments with the quality in them but, for us, a deep run is, for sure, what we want to make, and then once you get into the final games anything can happen and we would like to win, of course. 

There are two big tournaments coming up over the next two years — the Club World Cup and FIFA World Cup. How important are they for the development of the game in the USA? 

Just to see these games live and be around the game in the country is going to be something that the US hasn’t really seen, and the exposure of the sport in the next few years is really going to grow and grow and grow, and when you have teams like Dortmund and FC Bayern München, Real Madrid C.F. and Manchester City… all the best players in the world that are participating in these games, it sort of makes you want to check in and follow. Hopefully we will see as many fans in the stadium as possible and then, of course, next year with the (FIFA) World Cup, I think it will be pretty crazy, as an understatement. I really just hope people watch as much as possible and get exposed to this lovely game. 

What are your thoughts on possibly playing a FIFA World Cup on home soil, as your father Claudio did at USA 1994?

This is what you dream of as a kid and, for me, I don’t know when it was... seven or eight years ago when I heard that there was going to be a (FIFA) World Cup in the States, that was my goal – I think I was even a youth player still – to be on that field and representing my country in front of the whole world on home soil. I already know it’s going to be special. I can only dream of it right now, but obviously still a little bit of time until then, so I just have to keep going and I’m sure it will all work itself out. 

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