The USMNT November 2026 Blueprint: Gio Reyna’s Last Chance and Yunus Musah and Matt Turner's Club Form

The Big Picture – Reyna Returns, Musah & Turner Omitted

The U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) has announced their roster for two crucial friendly matches: versus Paraguay national football team on November 15 and against Uruguay national football team on November 18. This window is one of the last real auditions before the build-up to the 2026 2026 FIFA World Cup — and three storylines demand attention: the recall of Giovanni Reyna, the surprising omissions of Yunus Musah and Matt Turner, and what all this says about club form, minutes played, role clarity, and squad culture.

Gio Reyna: Last-Chance Impact

The return of Giovanni Reyna to the USMNT fold carries significant weight. He is not just back — he may be entering what amounts to a last major chance to solidify his place heading into 2026.

Club form & minutes
Reyna joined Borussia Mönchengladbach in August 2025 from Borussia Dortmund and according to Transfermarkt, the detailed stats tab shows serious limitations in his 2024-25 season playing time. One-Versus-One reports he played only 428 minutes in the 2024-25 league season. FootyStats reports that in the 2025-26 Bundesliga season he has appeared in five matches for a total of 132 minutes. 

His club situation remains unsettled; while his raw ability is clear, his rhythm and role clarity at club level have been inconsistent.

Team environment
Mönchengladbach are navigating a difficult Bundesliga campaign. Their early season positioning leaves much to be desired. The club challenge amplifies the risk for Reyna: limited team stability, limited individual minutes, limited ability to build momentum.

What Reyna still offers
Despite those setbacks, Reyna’s technical profile remains strong. His dribbling, vision, attacking instincts and ability to shift a game off the bench are precisely the kind of weapons the USMNT requires when facing teams that defend deeply (e.g., Paraguay, Uruguay). His skill set is undoubted — the issue is whether he can fit a defined impact role in camp and in the match plan.

Why this could be “last chance” mode

• The USMNT road to 2026 is ramping up; this friendly window is a crucial evaluation moment.
  

• Reyna’s club minutes are very low, which raises red flags about match fitness and form.
  

• The national team pool is getting deeper; if he doesn’t show readiness, his margin shrinks.
  

• He may not be starting 90 minutes in the friendlies — rather he is likely considered as an impact substitute, a role he must accept and excel in.

Coaching mindset
From a coaching—and development—perspective: Reyna must demonstrate strong professionalism, buy-into the role, show positive culture presence and readiness to produce when called. The USMNT staff will be looking at more than just “can he dribble.” They’ll ask: Can he slot into our tactics, contribute to the group, enhance our attacking threat off the bench?

Yunus Musah & Matt Turner: Familiar Names, Unfamiliar Status

Yunus Musah

Musah once looked like a shoo-in for the USMNT midfield. But his stock has slipped.

Background and club issues
Musah came through a strong trajectory and was repeatedly called up for the national team. However, his club situation took a rocky turn. He joined AC Milan and according to ESPN’s “Top 50 USMNT players by club form” he was ranked 6th but labelled as needing a move due to his club form. Stars & Stripes noted that his Milan time saw difficulties: he was “in and out of the lineup, tried in many different positions, and generally failed to impress.” Transfer grading sites also pointed out that his move to Milan (and then a loan to Atalanta BC) may have been a mis-step.

National team omission
Musah’s exclusion from the current roster signals a dramatic shift: from regular starter to not called in. Sources say his absence is likely due to club form and lack of a defined role.

Key takeaway
Musah’s pathway underscores a lesson: being technically gifted isn’t enough. Club environment, role clarity, minutes and alignment with national team expectations are critical. The US clearly expects conditioned readiness. Musah is still young, but unless he re-establishes consistent club performance and national team fit, his 2026 chances may erode.

Matt Turner

Turner’s omission is perhaps the most surprising — given his recent status as USMNT starter at the 2022 World Cup.

Background
Turner was the USMNT’s starting goalkeeper at Qatar 2022, and had built his reputation in MLS with the New England Revolution (MLS Goalkeeper of the Year 2021) before moving to Europe.

Recent club trajectory & national team impact
Since his move to Europe, Turner has seen limited starts. He transferred to Olympique Lyonnais in 2025 and immediately went on loan back to New England. Analysts point out this marks the first time since 1994 the USMNT does not have a starting goalkeeper playing regularly in a European league.

Why this matters

• Goalkeeper is a position where club minutes tend to carry heavy weight. A keeper who isn’t playing week-in, week-out creates concerns about sharpness and reliability in tournament settings.
  

• Turner’s lack of European league minutes and the return to MLS raise questions about his readiness to be the national team’s No. 1 in the 2026 cycle.
  

• The message: the USMNT is now looking for match-sharpness, role clarity and consistent club level performance even at the keeper spot.
  

National team implications
Turner’s omission signals a broader shift: prestige alone isn’t sufficient. If you aren’t playing, you may lose your spot. The USMNT appears willing to move on if the club situation doesn’t match national team expectations.

The Roster & Role Realities Ahead of Paraguay & Uruguay

The friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay provide an ideal case study of where the USMNT is: tactically, culturally and competitively.

Match environment

• Paraguay are known to defend deeply and compactly — a setup where injecting fresh attacking creativity makes a difference.
  

• Uruguay bring more traditional South American grit: pressed transitions, physicality, moments where the US might need to shift tone.
  In both cases, players like Reyna (with his attacking spark) could be especially valuable.

Role clarity for Reyna

• He likely not going to start and play 90 minutes, but as an impact substitute can he make an impact?
  

• He should be ready to come on and shift momentum, inject creativity, exploit tired legs, unlock compact defences.
  

• Acceptance of this role is crucial: if Reyna's attitude is poor in training based on his role, he may be used. The coaching staff will favor him if he shows he can fill a role, impact a match, lift the group.

Culture matters
Beyond tactics and technical ability, this window seems to signal that USMNT values what players bring off-the-ball: training ethos, attitude, readiness, buy-in. Contextually:

• Reyna: must show he is team-first, mentally ready, role-aware.
  

• Musah: his omission likely reflects lack of role clarity + club uncertainty.
  

• Turner: the keeper spot being “open” signals culture + minutes matter even more than past status.

2026 World Cup implications

• The USMNT are charting a course toward 2026 — and adjustments now will reflect on that roster.
  

• Reyna still has a shot — but the window is narrowing.
  

• Musah and Turner illustrate what happens when the club situation doesn’t align with national team expectations: from starter/regular to marginal.
  

• For all players: being in the squad is no longer enough — you must contribute, fit, earn your role, show up.

Final Take

In summary, the USMNT’s friendlies versus Paraguay and Uruguay are much more than exhibition matches — they are final auditions. Gio Reyna is back, and while his club minutes are limited, his talent remains high. His success depends not just on ability, but on embracing a clear role, being ready to impact the game, and contributing positively to the squad culture.

Meanwhile, the omissions of Yunus Musah and Matt Turner highlight a new reality: regular international appearances in 2024 and 2025 don’t guarantee you a place for 2026. Musah’s club environment and Minutes Played are flagged as problematic; Turner’s lack of consistent European club action means even the starting keeper role is unstable. Especially for Turner: the US may now head into the World Cup cycle without a regular European-based starting goalkeeper — a significant departure from past norms.

Coach and player development take-aways are clear: prioritize consistent playing time, align with team needs, show up ready for your role. The margin for error is small.

For the USMNT, the message is simple: form is everything heading into 2026 — if you’re not contributing now in your club environment, your chance may be gone.