Ricardo Pepi reflected on the significant transformation that occurred in the four years between being omitted from the United States roster for the 2022 World Cup and securing a spot for the 2026 tournament.
Fast forward to May 22, when Pepi was in a car with his father, Daniel, in Dallas. He received a WhatsApp video from current coach Mauricio Pochettino, announcing the selection of this year’s 26 players.
“I showed it to him, and he immediately started tearing up a little,” Pepi shared. “Being left off was tough, but I feel I’ve channeled that experience positively for this World Cup. It helped me mature and grow.”
Known as Rico among his teammates, Pepi is competing for playing time with Folarin Balogun and Haji Wright as the team prepares for their World Cup opener against Paraguay on June 12. He enters the match with 13 goals in 36 international appearances, following their final warmup game against Germany on Saturday.
“Pepi is a killer,” Pochettino remarked last week.
At just 23, Pepi’s journey has been filled with experiences. After being overlooked by Berhalter in 2022, he scored in his subsequent match with Dutch club Groningen.
“He probably deserved a spot on that previous roster,” remarked U.S. star Christian Pulisic. “He has consistently worked hard in camp, maintaining high performance at his club level by scoring goals. His time is now, and he truly deserves to be here.”
Defender Antonee Robinson was one of the teammates who reached out to console Pepi four years ago.
“He just called to check on me,” Pepi recounted.
Born in El Paso, Texas, to Mexican parents, Pepi joined the academy of FC Dallas in 2016 after playing for a youth affiliate in El Paso. He made his MLS debut in 2019, the same year he played for the U.S. at the Under-17 World Cup alongside future national team stars Gio Reyna and Joe Scally.
After a brief 2.5-year stint with Dallas, including a COVID-impacted 2020 season, Pepi moved to Germany at 18 to join Augsburg. After struggling to score in 16 games, he was loaned to Groningen early in the 2022-23 season. However, he couldn’t prevent the team’s relegation and subsequently transferred to PSV Eindhoven for the 2023-24 season.
His 2024-25 season was cut short due to a meniscus tear in his right knee sustained during a Champions League match against Liverpool on January 29. He bounced back to score 19 goals across 34 matches in all competitions during his third season with PSV, including three in the Champions League, despite a broken right arm that sidelined him between January 10 and February 21.
A potential transfer to the Premier League with Fulham wasn’t completed in the last winter transfer window.
Reflecting on his journey, Pepi said, “Looking back at who I was four years ago, I’m a far improved player now, especially in tight situations. Moving to Europe at 18 was a huge adjustment, but I’ve adapted and can compete with a big team now.”
Pepi chose to represent the U.S. senior national team over Mexico in August 2021 after discussions with his family. He made his international debut by scoring the decisive goal and providing two assists in a 4-1 comeback victory against Honduras in the opening qualifier for the 2022 World Cup. He followed up with both goals in a 2-0 victory over Jamaica the following month.
Berhalter remarked five years ago, “He has an innate goal-scoring instinct that’s difficult to teach.”
Pepi recently made a perfectly placed pass that led to Pulisic’s goal during a 3-2 friendly victory over Senegal, breaking a personal eight-game scoreless streak for Pulisic.
“He has the ability to identify space, arrive at the ball, and score or create chances even from seemingly impossible situations,” Pochettino noted.
This report includes information from The Associated Press.