United States men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino defended his decision to include Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Gio Reyna on the 26-man World Cup roster Tuesday, pointing to the 23-year-old's ability despite Reyna logging just 137 minutes of club action since January.

Reyna's strong November international window, in which he scored in a 2-1 victory over Paraguay and added an assist in a 5-1 rout of Uruguay, was central to Pochettino's thinking.

"I think we all know Gio have an amazing talent and experience, too," said Pochettino. "To play a non-official game or to play in different competition is not the same as to play in the World Cup. I think we need to trust the players that have experience and I think that is really important."

Pochettino signaled Reyna is unlikely to start but views him as a valuable substitute option.

"I don't say that he's going to play [every] game, but he can help," said Pochettino. "He can help because he's a different player, different talent. And I think in all the roster, you need to have a player like him. That is why I think I really believe that he can be in a situation that can help in different aspects of the game."

Reyna's previous World Cup appearance in Qatar in 2022 was overshadowed by a public dispute with then-coach Gregg Berhalter over his training commitment. The fallout became a prolonged feud between both families.

Reyna told reporters he is focused on moving forward.

"Of course I'm happy to be here, but at the same time, I obviously want to help the team any way possible," said Reyna. "So it's more just appreciative for another opportunity to represent."

The U.S. opens World Cup group play against Paraguay in Inglewood on June 12, followed by matches against Australia in Seattle and Turkey at SoFi Stadium.