USMNT star suffers broken arm, World Cup spot in jeopardy

An injury to Ricardo Pepi may have severely harmed his chances of being the United States’ starting striker for this summer’s World Cup.

Pepi played and scored for PSV Eindhoven on Saturday but injured himself in the process of poking home his side’s second goal. He landed awkwardly and remained down, requiring help to leave the field before being immediately substituted.

PSV have announced that Pepi suffered a broken forearm and will undergo surgery, potentially ruling him out for the next two months. That injury comes at a key point in the 2025/26 season, just as Pepi was hoping to stake his claim for a place in the US starting XI.

Pepi has scored 13 goals in 34 appearances for USMNT and featured in the recent wins over Paraguay and Uruguay in November. However with competition from the likes of Folarin Balogun, Haji Wright, Josh Sergeant and Patrick Agyemang, Pepi needs to continue his good form to earn a place in the team.

Pepi’s talent has never been in question and he has scored in each of his last five games for PSV. Nevertheless injuries have been a problem and he faces another spell on the sidelines.

“It’s been a lot of inconsistency,” Pepi said back in November, reflecting his struggles with injury. “I feel like I’m at a very good spot now. My main focus at the beginning of the season was staying healthy.”

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