1. Ricardo Daniel Pepi was born on January 9,2003 and is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker for Eredivisie club PSV and the United States national team.
22 Facts About Ricardo Pepi
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Ricardo Pepi represented the United States at the youth U17 level.
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Ricardo Pepi made his senior debut in 2021 and won the CONCACAF Nations League in 2023.
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Ricardo Pepi won the US Soccer Young Male Player of the Year award in 2021.
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Ricardo Pepi was born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in nearby San Elizario.
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Ricardo Pepi has Mexican ancestry through his family, and he regularly travels to Ciudad Juarez to visit family.
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Ricardo Pepi began playing recreational soccer when he was only four years old in local El Paso leagues.
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Ricardo Pepi soon began playing competitive organized soccer for a club coached by his father, Daniel Pepi.
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The club would soon become affiliated with Major League Soccer club FC Dallas, who scouted Ricardo Pepi following the Copa Chivas tournament in 2016, offering the then 13-year old the opportunity to join the FC Dallas youth academy.
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Ricardo Pepi was promoted to the under-17 side as a 15-year old, scoring 19 goals in eight matches.
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On December 8,2018, Ricardo Pepi became the first signing for North Texas SC, the new affiliate club for FC Dallas in USL League One.
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Ricardo Pepi was then called into the international under-17 squad.
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On October 12,2019, Ricardo Pepi returned to North Texas SC for the semifinals of the USL League One playoffs.
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On June 11,2019, Ricardo Pepi was loaned to North Texas SC parent club FC Dallas on a short-term loan ahead of their US Open Cup match against OKC Energy.
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On June 21,2019, Ricardo Pepi was signed by FC Dallas to a homegrown player deal, becoming the club's fourth youngest academy signing at 16 years and 163 days old.
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Ricardo Pepi finished his first season with FC Dallas with nine appearances and 0 goals.
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Ricardo Pepi scored 13 goals in 31 appearances during the 2021 regular season and was named MLS Young Player of the Year.
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On January 3,2022, it was announced that Ricardo Pepi had signed with FC Augsburg of the Bundesliga.
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On July 7,2023, Ricardo Pepi signed a five-year contract with PSV Eindhoven after the Dutch club agreed to pay $9.8 million to Augsburg for Ricardo Pepi's transfer.
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Ricardo Pepi had previously attended training camps for both the United States under-17 and Mexico under-17 sides.
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In October 2019, Ricardo Pepi was included again in the under-17 squad, this time for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
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On October 2,2024, Ricardo Pepi was included in Mauricio Pochettino's first roster as the head coach of the USMNT for friendlies against Panama and Mexico.