What is Ricardo Pepi’s net worth?
Ricardo Pepi is a Mexican-American striker who has a net worth of $2 million. He has played for FC Dallas, FC Augsburg, FC Groningen, PSV Eindhoven, and the United States national team.
He was born in 2003 and has played soccer at a competitive level since he was just 13 years old.
His talent and dedication have propelled his career, allowing him to play on the 2021 All-Star team and win the 2021 MLS Young Player of the Year award.
An Early Introduction to Soccer
To better understand how Ricardo Pepi has risen to become a leading figure in MLS soccer, it is important to consider his upbringing and the opportunities he has had.
Although both of his parents are originally from Mexico, Ricardo Daniel Pepi was born in El Paso, Texas, on January 9, 2003.
From a very young age, he showed an interest in soccer, and by the time he was 4 years old, he was already playing in local clubs.
Within a couple of years, his father had started coaching a local league that eventually became affiliated with FC Dallas.
Through their association, Pepi was recruited into the FC Dallas Youth Academy after scouts witnessed his gameplay in the 2016 Copa Chivas Tournament.
At just 13 years old, he was already on his way to a career in professional soccer.
In his first season alone, he scored 18 goals in just 15 appearances, helping him quickly rise through the Academy’s ranks.
By the time he was old enough to join the Under-17 team, he had proved that he would someday be a star after scoring 19 goals in just 8 appearances.
Understandably, FC Dallas offered Pepi a professional contract as soon as he turned 16, allowing him to play with an affiliate USL League One team—North Texas SC.
Pepi Starts His Professional Career with a Bang
Ricardo Pepi made his first professional appearance on March 30, 2019, in a head-to-head match against the Chattanooga Red Wolves.
Outstandingly, Pepi scored a hat-trick in his first game, singlehandedly helping his team win 3-2 against the Tennessee team.
When asked about Pepi’s performance, his coach had little to say other than “. . .it doesn’t shock me.”
Pepi stayed with North Texas SC for the remainder of the season, making 13 more appearances and scoring 9 goals in total.
At the time, he was nominated for the USL Young Player of the Year award, but he ultimately lost to Arturo Rodriguez.
By the 2021 season, Ricardo was playing singularly for FC Dallas, scoring his first goal for the club in a 3-1 away defeat against the San Jose Earthquakes. However, just a few games later, he made his first professional hat trick against the LA Galaxy, helping Dallas clinch a 4-0 victory.
After completing the season with 13 goals, Pepi was a hot commodity on the international trades market.
Ricardo Moves to Germany
On January 3, 2022, new reports announced that Pepi had been sold to German Bundesliga side FC Augsburg.
The transfer fee was reported to cost upwards of $20 million, making Pepi the most valuable American player to transfer from the MLS to a European team.
He is also in the top 10 most valuable players of all time.
Pepi’s European debut came on January 8, 2022, in the last third of a 3-1 defeat to Hoffenheim.
He would make another 15 appearances with FC Augsburg before being put on loan to FC Groningen for the remainder of the 2022-2023 season.
Fortunately, he was able to break an almost 1-year goal drought after scoring his first international goal against Sparta Rotterdam in a 2-1 defeat.
PSV Eindhoven
In the summer of 2023, Ricardo signed a five-year contract with Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven.
Pepi Plays for the US National Team
Although Pepi is technically eligible to play for both the United States and Mexico, he has only represented the former.
He was first called up to the senior team in August of 2021 to help the US qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Pepi made a strong debut, scoring the second US goal of the game, giving the American team a 2-1 lead over Honduras.
He then scored two more goals against Jamaica, helping the US team win and qualify for the World Cup.
Personal Life
Ricardo maintains close ties with his family in El Paso and regularly crosses over to neighboring Ciudad Juarez to spend time with his extended family.
He has two siblings—a sister named Sophia and a brother named Daniel—, and he’s been quoted as saying that his favorite soccer player is Cristiano Ronaldo.
He is currently single.
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Net Worth & Salary
So, how much is Ricardo Pepi worth?
Pepi accrued most of his wealth from his career as a professional soccer player.
At FC Dallas, Ricardo earned around $100k per year.
At FC Augsburg, Pepi has an annual salary of €702,000. Ricardo Pepi’s salary at PSV is undisclosed, but it is estimated to be around €1 million.
He’s sponsored by Nike.
Therefore, Ricardo Pepi has an estimated net worth of $2 million.
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