Ricardo Pepi had a triumphant return, scoring two goals for PSV Eindhoven in the victory against NEC Nijmegen, a match that marks the beginning of a crucial season for the American striker with an eye on the 2026 World Cup.
A Goal-Scoring Return
The 22-year-old player, who made his first start of the season, recovered from a knee injury suffered in a Champions League match. Pepi proved his worth by scoring in the 12th and 49th minutes, contributing to PSV’s 5-3 victory in the Eredivisie.USMNT 2026 World Cup Big Board 2.0: Balogun, Zendejas on the riseThis performance highlights Pepi’s impressive record when he starts for PSV. Since the beginning of last season, he has scored at least one goal in the nine matches in which he has started in all competitions, accumulating 16 goals in total.Before this match, Pepi had participated in two matches as a substitute, totaling 49 minutes of play. Against NEC, he played 65 minutes from the start.“I think it was a very important match, very happy to be back. Overall, happy to get the win, of course, happy to score two goals, so I think yes, the definition of being back,” declared the American striker.
Ricardo Pepi
Pepi’s injury prevented him from participating in this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup and this month’s friendlies against South Korea and Japan. However, the former FC Dallas player still has time to prove his worth and earn a place on the team for the 2026 World Cup.When asked about the World Cup and if this could be his season, Pepi replied: “I’m going to work hard to make it my season, for sure, and I can’t wait for it to arrive.”Pepi’s next challenge could be the start of PSV’s Champions League campaign, which they will play at home against Union Saint-Gilloise on Tuesday.“The important thing is that after such a long injury, the surgeons always tell you, ‘yes, you will be out for six, seven months’, and you hope it will be seven months. But that never works like that. It always takes time for the knee to get used to all the contact, all the loads. It really depends on your body, I think my knee has its own mind and I’m just trying to cooperate with it and manage it the best I can”.
Ricardo Pepi
