A young El Paso soccer fan named Ace got an unexpected package at home during the week before October 1: a United States national team jersey signed by hometown star Ricardo Pepi. The gift came after Pepi saw the boy's emotional reaction to Team USA's elimination from the 2026 World Cup, a moment that had been shared on social media.
A Hometown Star Notices a Young Fan's Heartbreak
According to netnoticias.mx, the El Paso-born forward sent the jersey after watching footage of Ace's sadness over the United States' exit from the tournament. Ace had shared his reaction on social media, and a post from FitFam El Paso said Pepi was moved after seeing the video and decided to personally send the jersey as a gesture of support, per the same account. As reported by KFOX, Ace is a 7-year-old El Paso soccer fan who had been rooting for Team USA.
Ace was brought to tears by the team's World Cup loss, and his mother recorded the moment and posted the video online, according to KFOX. The clip spread quickly after it was posted, and Ace said he was surprised by how many people ended up seeing it, the station reported. He later said he felt very happy and surprised that Pepi gave him the jersey, and that he became interested in soccer after playing with friends at school, per the same report.
From El Paso Fields to the World Cup Stage
Pepi was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, according to U.S. Soccer's official player page. He signed with the FC Dallas Academy in 2016 after coming up through the club's youth affiliate in El Paso, and he scored 11 goals in 13 appearances for North Texas SC in 2019, as noted by FC Dallas. He later became the club's 26th Homegrown player.
Pepi made his U.S. men's national team debut on September 5, 2021, against Honduras in San Pedro Sula, U.S. Soccer's records show. By April 2026, he had earned 35 caps and scored 13 goals for the national team. He was left off the U.S. roster for the 2022 World Cup, which made this year's tournament his first World Cup appearance, according to Yahoo Sports.
A World Cup Debut on Home Soil
Pepi made his World Cup debut off the bench for the United States in the team's opening match against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12, 2026, Yahoo Sports reported. USA TODAY's coverage traced his path from high school in El Paso to representing his country on soccer's biggest stage this year. For a kid like Ace, growing up in the same city as a player who reached the World Cup may have made Pepi's gesture land even closer to home.
