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United States midfielder Gio Reyna celebrates his 97th-minute trivela goal by placing the ball under his jersey and sucking his thumb during a 4-1 FIFA World Cup victory over Paraguay on Friday, June 12, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. Reyna later revealed that he and his wife, Chloe Ortolano, are expecting their first child.

Gio Reyna delivered one of the signature moments of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday night.

Then he shared even bigger news.

Moments after scoring a spectacular trivela goal in the United States men’s national team’s 4-1 victory over Paraguay, Reyna revealed that he and his wife, Chloe Ortolano, are expecting their first child.

“My wife’s pregnant,” Reyna told reporters with a smile after the match.

The announcement came roughly two hours after the 23-year-old midfielder capped the Americans’ dominant World Cup-opening performance with a moment of brilliance in second-half stoppage time at SoFi Stadium.

Gio Reyna Uses World Cup Goal to Announce Pregnancy

After finding the net in the 98th minute, Reyna celebrated by placing the ball under his jersey and sucking his thumb — a soccer tradition used by players to dedicate goals to pregnant partners.

Until that moment, however, the outside world did not know that Reyna and Ortolano were expecting.

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

The timing could hardly have been more fitting.

The United States had already secured a statement victory behind a first-half own goal by Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla and a historic brace from Folarin Balogun. Reyna then supplied the exclamation point with one of the tournament’s most memorable finishes.

Reyna’s Trivela Goal Becomes Instant World Cup Classic

Receiving a pass from Alex Freeman near the right edge of the penalty area, Reyna took two touches before unleashing a sublime effort with the outside of his right foot.

The shot curled beyond goalkeeper Orlando Gill and into the far corner, igniting another roar from the home crowd.

The technique, known as a trivela, is one of soccer’s most difficult skills to execute and has historically been associated with players such as Ricardo Quaresma, Luka Modric and Lamine Yamal.

Reyna’s goal immediately entered U.S. soccer lore.

“These questions are always hard for me,” Reyna said when asked about the finish. “Honestly, when I’m playing, I’m not really thinking. I’m just doing whatever felt natural.”

The goal was widely hailed as one of the defining moments of the tournament’s opening days.

World Cup Moment Caps Reyna’s Remarkable Journey

The goal and pregnancy announcement also represented another milestone in a career that has already experienced dramatic highs and lows.

Once regarded as one of the world’s brightest teenage prospects, Reyna burst onto the scene with Borussia Dortmund and earned the nickname “The American Dream” from former teammate Erling Haaland.

His rise was interrupted by injuries, inconsistent playing time and controversy surrounding the 2022 World Cup.

This past season, he started only four matches for Borussia Monchengladbach and entered the World Cup facing questions about his role with the national team.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, however, continued to express confidence in Reyna’s talent.

On Friday, Reyna rewarded that faith.

“We see stuff from him like that every day,” teammate Christian Pulisic said. “It’s great to see him pull it off in a moment like this.”

For Reyna, though, the night transcended soccer.

He delivered one of the most beautiful goals of the World Cup, helped launch the United States’ campaign with a resounding victory and shared news that he and Ortolano are preparing for their biggest adventure yet — becoming parents for the first time.