Giovanni Reyna’s parents are American former professional soccer players Claudio Reyna and Daniella Egan. Claudio Reyna played soccer as a midfielder for the United States national team and had stints in Germany (Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg), England (Manchester City, Sunderland), Scotland (Rangers), and the US (New York Red Bulls). Daniella Egan, on the other hand, was a former soccer player who starred on the United States women’s soccer team.
Reyna and his parents aren’t the only soccer players in the family. His paternal grandfather, Miguel Reyna, was a professional football player who played for the Los Andes. Giovanni, who currently plays for the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, and the United States national team as an attacking midfielder has a lot to be grateful for when it comes to his heritage; he inherited the genetics that has allowed him to have a stellar career.
Profile summary of Giovanni Reyna
- Full Name: Giovanni Alejandro Reyna
- Nickname: Captain America
- Date of Birth: November 13, 2002
- Place of Birth: Sunderland, England
- Ethnicity: Mixed (US, Argentine, and Portuguese family ancestry)
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
- Education: New York City FC
- Profession: Professional Soccer Player
- Net Worth: £4,527,120
- Salary: £42,000
- Height: 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m)
- Weight: 79 kg (174 lbs.)
- Marital Status: Single
- Siblings: Jack Reyna (Late), Carolina Reyna (sister), and Joah Reyna (brother).
- Instagram: @gioareyna
Where is Giovanni Reyna From?
Giovanni Alejandro Reyna was born on November 13, 2002, in the city of Sunderland, England. However, he grew up in the United States of America, spending the better part of his childhood in Bedford, New York City. At the age of 5, the family left England for the United States of America so that his father could finish his playing career in the Major League Soccer with the New York Red Bulls in 2007.
Reyna is of Portuguese and Argentine descent through his father and an Irish-American through his mother. The youngster holds both English nationality as well as American nationality. Giovanni was named after his father’s former Rangers teammate, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, and is the second of four children (Jack Reyna, Carolina Reyna, and Joah Reyna) born to his parents.
Giovanni’s younger brother, Joah, is passionate about cooking and soccer, and there is a high possibility that he might follow in his brother’s footsteps. His younger sister, Carolina, like other members of the family, is also actively involved in sports activities.
Giovanni Reyna’s Father, Claudio Reyna, has Portuguese and Argentine Ancestry
- Full Name: Claudio Reyna Silva
- Date of Birth: July 20, 1973
- Place of Birth: Livingston, New Jersey, U.S
- Ethnicity: Mixed
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Cancer
- Education: Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School and University of Virginia
- Profession: Former professional football player
- Position: Midfielder
- Height: 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m)
- Marital Status: Married
- Claudio Reyna’s wife: Danielle Egan Reyna
- Children: Jack Reyna, Giovanni Reyna, Carolina Reyna, and Joah Reyna.
Claudio Reyna Silva was born under the cancer birth sign on July 20, 1973, in Livingston, New Jersey, United States of America. He is the son of former football players Miguel Reyna and Maria Silva. His father, Miguel, went through the youth system of Independent and played professionally with Los Andes before moving to the United States in 1968. Through his father, Claudio has Argentine and Portuguese ancestry.
Following his father’s career path, Claudio Reyna began training with his father, who taught him the basics of the game. He began his early career at Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School, where he was named the only two-time Parade Magazine’s national high school player of the year and the Gatorade National Player of the year before he graduated in the year 1991. He was named one of the top ten New Jersey high school soccer players of the 1990s by The Star-Ledger.
With an impressive high school stat, Claudio chose to attend the University of Virginia on full scholarship and starred on the school’s soccer team for three seasons. While studying at the University of Virginia, he won the NCAA championship each of the three seasons he played with the Cavaliers and graduated in the year 1993. Throughout his collegiate career, he bagged several awards, including the Hermann Trophy in 1993, two-time Soccer Player of the Year honoree (1992 and 1993), and the MAC Award (1992 and 1993).
Claudio Reyna is Regarded as One of the Best Players in US History
Claudio began his professional career in the year 1994 with the German Bundesliga club Bayer 04 Leverkusen and made only five appearances with the club before he was loaned to VfL Wolfsburg in 1997. He made up for his shortcomings with Bayer 04 Leverkusen and established himself at his new club, where he made history as the first American to captain the club.
In 1999, he signed to join the Scottish Premier League Club, Rangers, where he played as a right midfield and recorded 13 goals with the club. After he left Rangers, he transferred to Premier League side Sunderland, where he welcomed his second son, Giovanni Reyna. Despite the anterior cruciate ligament injury in his knee that threatened his career, Claudio continued his impressive career exploit and joined Manchester City in the year 2003.
His stint at Manchester City was characterized by injury, which derailed his performance, restricting him to 30 appearances in the first season with the club. He starred in 87 appearances with the club, recording four goals. Claudio joined New York Bulls in 2007, and a year later, on July 16, 2008, he announced his professional retirement.
The former professional soccer player is considered one of the best players in the United States. He was a member of the national team for the 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006 FIFA World Cup. He captained the national team in the 2002 World Cup and in the 2006 FIFA World Cup before he retired from international soccer. After retiring from professional sport, Reyna was appointed Sporting Director of MLS expansion team New York City FC, and he would later take up the position of sports director at Austin FC.
As the director of New York FC, he was charged with the responsibility of building a team, and part of that responsibility was developing a youth program in which his son turned out to be the brightest prospect. He was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame on February 29, 2012. Claudio Reyna is currently managing the Claudio Reyna Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides soccer training and mentoring to underprivileged youth around the world.
Gio Reyna’s Mother, Daniella Egan Reyna, Won Four NCAA Championships
- Full Name: Danielle Egan Reyna
- Date of Birth: August 28, 1973
- Place of Birth: West Islip, New York, United States
- Ethnicity: Mixed
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Virgo
- Education: North Carolina University
- Profession: Former professional soccer player
- Height: 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m)
- Marital Status: Married
- Daniella Egan’s husband: Claudio Reyna
- Children: Jack Reyna, Giovanni Reyna, Carolina Reyna, and Joah Reyna (brother).
Danielle Egan Reyna is a former American soccer player birthed on August 28, 1973, in West Islip, New York, United States of America. She holds an American nationality and is of Irish descent. Danielle met her husband, Claudio, before the 1994 FIFA World Cup, when both men’s and women’s national teams stayed at the same hotel. A few years later, in July 1997, they got married and have since welcomed four children.
The couple welcomed their eldest child, Jack, in 1999, but unfortunately, they lost him to cancer in 2012. They are also parents to Giovanni, Joah, and Carolina Reyna.
Giovanni Reyna’s mother won four NCAA Championships playing collegiate soccer for North Carolina University alongside Mia Hamm, Kristine Lily, and Tisha Venturini. She starred on the United States Women’s national soccer team and made six appearances in 1993. Daniella recorded a goal in a 6-0 victory against Australia in Hamilton, Ontario, on July 7, 1993.
Giovanni Reyna’s Elder Brother, Jack Reyna, Died of Cancer in 2012
The American football star is the second oldest among four siblings. He has an older brother named Jack and younger siblings, Joah and Carolina Reyna. Jack was birthed in 1999, around the time Claudio joined the Scottish Premier League club Rangers after his short stints at Leverkusen and Wolfsburg.
Just like Giovanni, Jack grew up as a sports enthusiast with an interest in football and basketball. Jack wasn’t just an elder brother to little Giovanni; he was his role model, hero, and first football trainer.
According to Giovanni, the one who made him a good player wasn’t his father but his elder brother, Jack, who always played football with him in the backyard of their home. At the age of 11 years, Jack was diagnosed with brain cancer in the summer of 2010. Initially, everything seemed to be going well until December 2011, when the doctors discovered that the tumor had re-emerged.
As weeks turned into months, months into a year, Jack slowly began to succumb to the deadly illness, and on July 19, 2012, at the age of 13, he passed away. The tragedy of losing his elder brother and role model left a huge impact on Giovanni, and it shaped him into who he is today.
