Ricardo Pepi reaches World Cup after family sacrifices in El Paso
The U.S. striker’s path from a trailer in Texas to the World Cup included loans, long workdays and a reported $10 million move to PSV Eindhoven.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Ricardo Pepi played for the United States in its World Cup opener against Paraguay on Friday, Fortune reported, extending a rise that began in modest circumstances in El Paso, Texas. His route to the tournament shows the financial strain behind elite youth soccer for families trying to support a player before professional money arrives.
Pepi, now 23, was born in El Paso to Mexican parents, Daniel and Annette Pepi, according to Fortune. The outlet reported that Daniel was 23 and Annette was 16 when they became parents, and that the family lived in a trailer while trying to support their son’s soccer ambitions.
Daniel Pepi described those early years in The Long Game, a new book about the U.S. men’s national team cited by Fortune. He said the family began with little, lived day to day in El Paso and had to work long hours while raising a young child.
As Pepi’s talent developed, the costs rose, Fortune reported. Youth tournaments required travel, and Daniel Pepi said in the book that the family borrowed money, sought loans through work or relatives, and at times pawned the title to their car to keep paying for soccer.
Daniel Pepi’s own work history shaped the way he pushed his son, according to Fortune. The outlet reported that Daniel began working in concrete finishing at age 13, and Ricardo Pepi said in The Long Game that his father would pull him from the field if he thought he was not putting in enough effort.
Ricardo Pepi said his father told him not to waste the family’s time or money if he did not want to play, according to the book excerpt cited by Fortune. Pepi credited that direct pressure with helping form the discipline that carried him into professional soccer.
From MLS to Europe
Pepi’s professional ascent came early. U.S. Soccer lists him as a U.S. men’s national team player, and Fortune reported that he made his Major League Soccer debut at 16 before earning his first senior national team call-up at 18.
In 2023, PSV Eindhoven signed Pepi from Augsburg in a deal ESPN reported was worth roughly $10 million. Fortune described the fee as one of the largest paid for an American striker.
Fortune reported that Pepi is expected to be an important part of the U.S. squad as the team plays a World Cup on home soil. The tournament also carries major financial stakes: ESPN reported that FIFA’s winning team can receive up to $50 million in prize money, with national teams often distributing some of that money to players and staff.
Pepi’s exact net worth is not public, Fortune reported. The outlet said his income has likely grown through club contracts, bonuses and endorsement work, including deals involving Home Depot, Allstate and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
For Daniel and Annette Pepi, Fortune reported, Friday’s match represented the payoff from years of sacrifice. Their son’s World Cup place now stands as the most visible result of a family investment that began far from stadium lights.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.