The Reyna Legacy: Two Siblings, Two U-17 World Cups, One Historic First

Seven years after Giovanni Reyna took the field at a FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil, the Reyna family will return to the tournament with another player wearing the United States crest.

This time, it will be Carolina Reyna.

The 16-year-old forward has been named to the U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team roster for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, giving her the chance to follow in her older brother Gio’s footsteps on the international stage.

But Carolina’s selection carries significance beyond the Reyna family.

When she takes the field in Morocco, Carolina and Gio will become the first brother-sister duo to represent the United States at a FIFA U-17 World Cup. 

It is the latest chapter in a family that has already played a significant role in U.S. Soccer history.

Gio Reyna was 17 when he captained the United States at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil.

The midfielder entered the tournament as one of the most highly regarded players in the American youth system, having already joined Borussia Dortmund and carrying considerable expectations as the next generation of U.S. talent.

FIFA highlighted Reyna as the star and captain of that American team, which competed in Group D alongside Senegal, Japan and the Netherlands. 

The tournament became another important step in Gio’s development. He would go on to make his senior U.S. debut in 2020, play at the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups and establish himself as one of the most recognizable American players of his generation. 

Carolina has already been part of the U.S. youth national team pathway for several years.

In 2024, she made headlines at the Concacaf Girls’ U-15 Championship, scoring four goals in the opening 35 minutes of an 11-0 victory over Jamaica. 

She has continued progressing through the U.S. program and was part of the group that helped the U-17 team qualify for this year’s World Cup.

At the most recent U-17 camp, Carolina featured in victories over Chile and Canada as the United States finalized its preparations for Morocco. Against Canada, she started as the U.S. forward in a 4-1 victory. 

Her inclusion on Ciara Crinion’s final 21-player roster now gives her the biggest international stage of her young career.

The United States will open the tournament against Samoa on October 19 before facing Kenya and China in Group E.

Carolina and Gio are not the only Reynas to reach a FIFA youth World Cup.

Their father, Claudio Reyna, represented the United States at the 1989 FIFA U-16 World Championship in Scotland before going on to become one of the most important players in American soccer history. Claudio earned 112 senior caps and appeared at four FIFA World Cups. 

Their mother, Danielle Reyna, also represented the United States at the senior international level, earning six caps in 1993. 

Gio’s appearance at the 2019 U-17 World Cup continued that family tradition. Carolina’s selection now takes it somewhere it has never been before.

For the first time, two Reyna siblings will represent the United States at the same level of a FIFA World Cup.

And Carolina will arrive in Morocco without simply being Gio Reyna’s younger sister.

She has already begun building her own international résumé.

At 16, she now has a chance to add a World Cup chapter of her own — while simultaneously making a little bit of U.S. Soccer history for the entire Reyna family.