U.S. men’s national team standout Gio Reyna had a milestone moment on Sunday, setting a new record for Americans in Europe’s top five leagues with his goal in Borussia Dortmund’s 1-1 draw against Hoffenheim.
Reyna scored the opening goal of the match, his first for the club since May 2023. The game started when Jamie Gittens crossed into the penalty area, hoping the ball would find a teammate close to the goal. A Hoffenheim player headed the ball away from the goal, but the ball fell to Reyna, who was a few meters from the penalty area. The midfielder got a touch on the ball before it bounced away from him, although Reyna wasted no time and then hit a powerful shot that ended up in the back of the net.
Watch the goal below:
Not only was it Reyna’s first club goal in more than a year, it was also the 14th of his Bundesliga career. The 22-year-old became the highest-scoring USMNT player under the age of 23 in Europe’s top five leagues this century. per Opta. The record was previously held by Christian Pulisic, who scored thirteen league goals between Dortmund and Chelsea before the age of 23, most of them with the German club.
Reyna’s goal also marks a turning point in his success at Dortmund, which had stalled in recent years. He made 30 appearances for the club in the 2022/23 season, but the injury-prone player missed significant time that season and injuries continued to pile up as he fell out of favor at the German club. He was loaned out to English side Nottingham Forest at the end of last season in search of more playing time, but only managed 230 minutes across ten games from January to May. It seemed likely that he would leave Dortmund last summer under new manager Nuri Sahin, but he ended up staying put.
He started the season with a groin injury that kept him out from September to November, but has since made eight appearances for Dortmund. That includes Sunday’s game, which marked his second consecutive start for the team during a busy week. Reyna also played 73 minutes in their 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, making his second appearance in European competition this season.
His ability to break back into Dortmund’s lineup marks another positive development for the USMNT, who are in the midst of an ambitious preparation ahead of co-hosting the 2026 World Cup. Mauricio Pochettino became the team’s head coach in September, as they aim for a statement performance in a year and a half, with a large portion of USMNT players excelling in Europe’s top leagues.
Pulisic is the most notable player in the middle of a season with eight goals and five assists for AC Milan, but Reyna joins other notable USMNT standouts such as Timothy Weah and Juventus’ Weston McKennie on the list of Americans to earn a spot for conquer itself. The best competitions in Europe this season.