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Carolina Reyna's two-goal contribution in the U.S. women's national team's opening fixture of this summer's U-17 World Cup could easily have been overshadowed by the avalanche of goals in a commanding 17–0 victory over Samoa. Nevertheless, those strikes have secured a permanent place in American soccer lore.
Just months before Reyna's involvement in that record-breaking demolition, her brother Gio netted for the men's senior national team on home turf in a convincing 4–1 defeat of Paraguay. The two children of retired USMNT legend Claudio Reyna now hold the unique distinction of being the first brother-sister duo to score for the United States at a World Cup.
Claudio never managed the same feat, whether at youth or senior level, but can draw comfort from having raised two of the current program's most exciting talents.
Following a turbulent falling out with former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter — fueled by a dispute initiated by Claudio — Gio Reyna has consistently been held in high regard by Mauricio Pochettino. The dynamic midfielder repaid his manager's faith with a stunning outside-of-the-boot finish at SoFi Stadium to round off a dominant victory. That 4–1 scoreline remains tied for the USMNT's biggest-ever World Cup win, though it pales next to the achievements of Carolina's US U-17 WNT.
The Stars and Stripes were already leading 10–0 before Reyna even stepped onto the pitch against Samoa. The teenager needed just three minutes to add to the misery, linking up with Maddie DiMaria — who would finish the match with six goals of her own — to slot into a poorly defended net. Reyna then made it 15–0 with a curling left-footed effort into the top corner in the 78th minute, giving her teammates enough time to tack on two more goals.
The World Cup Dynasty of the Reynas
Reyna | U-17 World Cup Stats | Senior World Cup Stats |
|---|---|---|
Claudio | 3 apps, 0 goals | 10 apps, 0 goals |
Gio | 3 apps, 0 goals | 7 apps, 1 goal |
Carolina | 1 app, 2 goals | N/A |
Carolina was just 10 years old when she watched Gio captain the U-17 squad in 2019. A U.S. side bolstered by fellow future senior international Ricardo Pepi got off to a strong start in the tournament, with Gianluca Busio finding the net inside three minutes. However, no further goals would come as the team exited in the group stage without a win.
Claudio's U-17 squad in 1989 at least opened their first-round elimination with a victory over Brazil, though it was far from a formidable Seleção side — not a single player from the team that fell 1–0 to the USYNT would go on to earn a senior international cap.
Reyna Sr. would enjoy greater success at senior World Cups. After spending the 1994 home tournament on the bench, the attacking midfielder became a regular starter in 1998 before leading the nation as captain in both 2002 and 2006. Unlike his children, the central midfielder never managed to score, though he did outdo Gio by reaching the quarterfinals.
Given the sheer scale of Monday's result, Carolina will be hoping the young U.S. side can make a deep run this summer. A victory of that magnitude almost guarantees progression to the knockout stage, with two remaining group matches against China and Kenya still to come. Should the U.S. U-17 WNT top their group, they would face the runner-up of Group D — potentially Japan or France — in the round of 16.
The U.S. has never claimed the women's U-17 World Cup title in its current format, having been eliminated as early as the first knockout round last year. Their best-ever showing was a third-place finish in 2008, featuring future senior champions Sam Mewis and Crystal Dunn. Whether Carolina can eventually reach those heights remains to be seen, but she has already made her family proud.