Star Forward's Shocking Injury Sends USMNT World Cup Dreams Into Crisis Mode
United States men's national team forward Ricardo Pepi departed Saturday's commanding 5–1 PSV Eindhoven victory against Excelsior Rotterdam with a broken forearm and will require surgical intervention, with his rehabilitation timeline projected at two months.
The 23-year-old striker sustained the injury during his team's second goal in the triumph, landing awkwardly on the goal line after driving the ball into the net. This marked his 13th strike of the campaign before being assisted off the field in obvious discomfort.
Although the timing of this setback is unfortunate given his excellent form with the Dutch Eredivisie table-toppers, he should not miss the 2026 World Cup on American territory, where the USMNT begins play on June 12 versus Paraguay in Los Angeles.
Nevertheless, he will likely be absent for the March international fixtures against Belgium and Portugal, leaving only the May exhibitions as preparation matches for the tournament. Earlier, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino indicated the squad for that camp will not exceed the final tournament roster size, giving Pepi limited opportunities to showcase himself and secure a starting position.
"The situation looked concerning immediately and in such moments you prefer to turn away," commented manager Peter Bosz, referencing Pepi's injury record, which featured a severe knee problem in January of the 2024–25 season that kept him out for half a year.
"Pepi was enjoying excellent form, had a productive training period and was completely recovered. He gained confidence and found that positive rhythm once more. Everything pointed toward a successful second half of the season, making this extremely frustrating. Primarily for him and naturally for our team as well."
Pepi's setback adds him to an expanding roster of injured USMNT World Cup candidates, which already features AFC Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams, who will be unavailable for the March exhibitions.
USMNT Striker Options
Pepi's absence represents a definite setback to Pochettino's offensive alternatives regarding the most productive players. However, the USMNT possesses multiple strikers and attacking talents it can utilize in March and potentially beyond.
In the forward position, AS Monaco's Folarin Balogun netted his eighth goal of 2025–26 in a Coupe de France triumph over US Orléans and holds the leading position to start for the USMNT this summer. Meanwhile, Josh Sargent and Patrick Agyemang have discovered their scoring touch in the English Championship, recording eight and six goals respectively across all tournaments.
After the March exhibitions, the USMNT will face Senegal and Germany in May and June to conclude World Cup preparations, with Pepi aiming to return to fitness and remain in those considerations.