For USMNT’s 2022 World Cup squad also-rans, 2026 call means that much more

Ricardo Pepi, 23, is among five members of the current USMNT World Cup squad who missed the 2022 Qatar tournament, either through injury or being cut. Pepi, who famously hung up on then-coach Gregg Berhalter after being dropped from the 2022 roster, has since scored 45 goals across three seasons at PSV and 19 goals in approximately 1,700 minutes this season. He learned of his selection for the 2026 World Cup squad via an email from U.S. Soccer while in the car with his father, calling the moment 'something special.'