"It's a story that's so confusing and humanly heartbreaking it's hard to decipher." That's Roger Bennett, founder of Men in Blazers, describing the Berhalter-Reyna saga — and he's not wrong. Now, ahead of Mauricio Pochettino's official squad announcement this Tuesday, a Friday leak has revealed that both Gio Reyna and Sebastian Berhalter have made the USMNT's 26-man World Cup roster. Two sons. One generational feud. Same team.
The backstory, for those who missed it: Gio's father Claudio and Sebastian's father Gregg were teammates at Saint Benedict's Prep in New Jersey, college rivals, then USMNT teammates through the 1990s and into the 2002 World Cup. Their wives were college roommates at UNC. Claudio reportedly served as best man at Gregg's wedding. It was as close as it gets.
Qatar 2022 blew it apart. Gregg, then USMNT head coach, kept Gio — considered by many the most naturally gifted player in the American pool — to just 52 minutes across four matches. Gio, 20 at the time and playing for Borussia Dortmund, didn't hide his frustration. His attitude in training slipped. Gregg later addressed it publicly at a leadership summit, describing an unnamed player he'd nearly sent home. No name was needed.
When family history became a weapon
Gio's mother Danielle then contacted US Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart to report a 1991 incident in which Gregg — then 18 — had kicked his then-girlfriend Rosalind (Gio's mother's college roommate and best friend) during an argument. Gregg acknowledged it publicly in January 2023, calling it "shameful," noting he'd sought counseling and that Rosalind co-signed his statement after 25 years of marriage.
He also implied he'd been blackmailed. US Soccer investigated. They cleared Gregg to coach but found the Reynas' actions didn't meet the threshold for blackmail or extortion. Gregg was fired in 2024 anyway — poor tournament results will do that — and now coaches Chicago Fire. The families remain estranged.
The grievances on both sides are real, and the split in public opinion has never fully healed. "Reyna was a teenager who wasn't fully fit and threw a fit because he felt deserving," one insider told the New York Post. "That's what kicked this whole thing off." Paul Tenorio, author of the upcoming book The Messi Effect, backs that read: "The genesis of this was Gio Reyna not starting that first game in Qatar, which was completely justified."
Two very different players, one squad
The footballing contrast between the two is sharp. Gio, now 23 and at Borussia Mönchengladbach, has 36 caps and nine international goals. His ceiling remains elite — Bennett calls his style "poetic" — but injuries and inconsistency have stopped him from fulfilling the trajectory that once made him look like a generational talent. He's the kind of player who can flip a match. When fit and motivated, he genuinely can.
Sebastian Berhalter, 25, is a different proposition entirely. He's made just 11 appearances for the national team and scored once, but he's been a model of reliability at Vancouver Whitecaps. Said to be one of Pochettino's favorites, he brings energy, set-piece quality, and the kind of unglamorous glue work that coaches value more than fans typically do. This will be his World Cup debut.
- Gio Reyna: 36 caps, 9 goals, Borussia Mönchengladbach (Bundesliga)
- Sebastian Berhalter: 11 caps, 1 goal, Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS)
Gio's inconsistency makes him a risk to build bets around — USMNT scoring markets might be better anchored elsewhere. Sebastian's profile screams squad player: valuable, but unlikely to rack up the minutes that drive individual performance markets.
Pochettino's official announcement comes Tuesday at Pier 17 in Manhattan. Whatever happens on the pitch, both players will carry more backstory into a tournament than almost anyone else in the competition.
