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Claudio Reyna, a Bedford resident, turns 41 on Sunday.
Reyna, a retired American soccer player and the current director of football operations for New York City FC, was born July 20, 1973, in Livingston, New Jersey.
He was the captain of the United States men's national team before retiring from international football following the U.S.'s exit from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He is widely considered one of the greatest players the United States has ever produced. Reyna last played for New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer, where he was team captain.
As a U.S. national player, Reyna got his first cap against Norway on January 15, 1994. He was a member of the team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, but did not play due to injury.
Reyna did play in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups. He became only the third American ever (after Bert Patenaude and John Souza) named to the World Cup all-tournament team.
In 2006, Reyna again captained the U.S. at the World Cup in Germany. Trailing 1–0 in the opener against the Czech Republic, Reyna fired a 30-yard shot that bounced off the post, the best American chance in the game.
On June 23, 2006, the day after the U.S. was eliminated from the World Cup, Reyna announced his retirement from the national team. He ended his international career with 111 caps and eight goals.
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