Ricardo Pepi has revealed why he picked the USMNT over Mexico at senior international level after being offered opportunities by both nations.
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El Paso native boasts dual nationalityKept his options open as a teenagerNow committed to the U.S. causeWHAT HAPPENED?
The talented striker, who is now playing his club football at Eredivisie giants PSV, attended training camps for the United States and Mexico at U17 level. His potential was clear for all to see, with an MLS debut for FC Dallas taken in at just 16 years of age.
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El Paso native Pepi continued to be courted by the U.S. and El Tri before eventually choosing to represent the country of his birth – with a senior debut for the USMNT taken in against Honduras on September 8, 2021.
WHAT PEPI SAID
Explaining why he sided with the United States, Pepi has told the podcast: “It was always a difficult decision growing up, having to go with the U.S. national team or the Mexican. It was always a decision that I knew someday I was going to have to take. It was something that I always had in my head. I was always thinking about it. Then came both national teams when it was time to make that decision. I talked to my parents and was like ‘what do you guys think?’ They were like ‘no matter what team you pick, we’ll be with you and will support you 100 per cent. The day you pick the U.S. we are going to take off the Mexican jerseys and put on the USA one, or the day you pick the Mexico national team we are going to get the Mexican national team jersey and leave the USA one behind’. It was something that I was thinking about the opportunities that both national teams gave me and the path they had for me. It was just easy to be able to decide. The U.S. wanted me to join them in the World Cup qualifiers, which is something that is a big deal – qualifying for the World Cup. It’s a unique opportunity, being at a World Cup, and something that I didn’t even have to think about because Mexico wanted me to play for the U20s and eventually make my way up to the first team. I was like ‘I’m past that’, so eventually the U.S. gave me the better opportunities so it was easy to decide where I wanted to go.”
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Pepi, who is now playing Champions League football after completing a transfer to PSV in the summer of 2023, is up to 22 caps for the USMNT. He was left out of their 2022 World Cup squad, but does have 10 international goals to his name and will be hoping to figure prominently in CONCACAF Nations League and Copa America campaigns during 2024.