Ricardo Pepi’s international crossroads and the crucial role his parents played in choosing between Mexico and the U.S.

A lot of the USMNT’s hopes at this summer’s World Cup will be pinned on their towering center-forward, Ricardo Pepi. After spending over half of last year recovering from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, the 23-year-old finished the season with a respectable 19 goals for PSV Eindhoven. Along with Folarin Balogun, Pepi has been regularly delivering goals which is just what Pochettino’s team will need when the World Cup kicks off next month.

Pepi has come a long way since making his Major League Soccer debut with Dallas in June 2019 - a week after signing his first professional contract. In July 2021 he became the youngest player in MLS history to score a hat-trick, firing three past the LA Galaxy in just under 50 minutes.

He is now a fully established member of the USMNT having made 35 appearances at full international level. But the PSV forward was faced with a difficult decision over which country to represent when he was just 16 years old - just three years after joining the Dallas academy.

Early life in El Paso

While Ricardo was born in his United States, both of his parents are Mexican. When he started getting noticed, he would have to elect which national team to play for - Mexico or the United States.

“I grew up in El Paso - it’s the border between Mexico and the US. I feel like El Paso is 90 percent Hispanic, it’s in the US, but it’s Mexican - there’s Mexican food, the culture is Mexican. That’s where I started playing soccer, that’s where my family moved from Mexico to El Paso, to give better opportunities - not only to me but to my siblings. I feel El Paso is my place, it’s where I grew up and showed me everything I know now,” Pepi recalled in an interview with FOX in 2021.

Ricardo’s father Daniel introduced him to soccer at an early age - and soon he was following two leagues - MLS and the Liga MX. “When Ricardo was growing up, we watched a lot of Liga MX. My club has always been América. He grew up into it”.

Soccer heroes

“There was players like Giovani dos Santos who I always used to watch,” Ricardo added. “Chicharito was one of the players that I was really impressed by.

“Growing up I was always rooting for Mexico. I would always cross the border and have my family over there - they were always telling me, ‘Oh, I want you to play for Mexico’ and one day you’ll be playing there for the Mexican national team, and things like that. But even my parents, that was always a dream of mine - playing for the Mexican national team. I knew it was not only a dream of mine, but a dream of my Dad“.

That’s exactly how it was, as Daniel takes up the story: “My dream was for Ricardo to play for Mexico. You can ask any Mexican parent out there, and if they have the opportunity for their kids to play in the Tri’s jersey... who wouldn’t want that?”

The United States come calling

The Pepi family was thrilled when Ricardo turned out for Mexico’s Under-16s, wearing the No.10 jersey. But the teenager had been attracting attention elsewhere and in the fall of 2018, he was called up by the United States for three friendlies in the October international window.

Pepi made his debut for the US Men’s Under-17s against Brazil on October 14, 2018, coming on as a late sub. He was handed his first start in the next game against Russia and scored his first goal for the Stars and Stripes - hitting the winner against Turkey, the following month.

Fast forward to April 2019, coach Raphael Wicky included him in his 20-man roster for the CONCACAF U17 Championship. Pepi contributed three goals as the US made it to the final, only to be beaten in extra-time by Mexico.

Having now played for both Mexico and the United States at youth level, the day would come when Ricardo would have to choose one over the other. Under FIFA rules, he could play for either El Tri or the USMNT but once he played at senior level, he would be committed - there would be no opportunities to swap allegiances in the future.

“I got a call from the US in August of 2021 to be able to represent the country and to be honest, that was a decision that was really hard,” the player recalled.

Parents’ full support

His parents however, saw it as an opportunity not to be missed. “We’ve always been there for our children and we told him, ‘Son, whatever path you want to take, we will be here for you’,” is mother Annette explained. “I can’t say, go with Mexico because we are Mexican. If you elect the USMNT, we’re right behind you and we’ll support you”.

Father Daniel adds, “He’s as proud of being American as he is proud of being Mexican. When he told me that he was going to go for the USA, I was like, ‘Here’s my Mexican jersey, let’s bring the USA in’. It wasn’t hard for me”.

And Ricardo himself, concluded: “Although I chose the USA, I’m still Mexican. You know, my culture at home is Mexican. But once I step foot out of my house, my culture is American. I felt like, deep in my heart I wanted to represent the US and they obviously gave me the opportunity to grow as a player so I took that opportunity. I’m a proud Mexican-American”.

Pepi made his senior debut on September 9, 2021, leading the attack for the USMNT in the Concacaf World Cup qualifier against Honduras. He crowned the occasion with a goal - heading in DeAndre Yedlin’s center to put Gregg Berhalter’s side in front.

World Cup debut

Since then, Pepi has added to his tally which currently stands at 13. Berhalter controversially left the striker out of his World Cup squad in 2022, but Ricardo looks set to get the nod when Pochettino announces his list tomorrow. Daniel and Annette and the entire Pepi family in El Paso and in Mexico will be proudly cheering him on when he makes his World Cup debut this summer.

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