Revealed: How Cristiano Ronaldo inspired USMNT star Ricardo Pepi & had him chasing a ‘dream’ that was fulfilled when making €10m PSV transfer

United States international Pepi decided at a young age - when growing up in El Paso, Texas – that he wanted to pursue a career as a professional soccer player. Reaching the top felt a long way off at that stage, but watching legends such as five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo had him believing that anything was possible.

Pepi took his first steps down a path towards the Champions League when leaving MLS for German side Augsburg in 2022, with a loan spell at Dutch side Groningen last season seeing him register 13 goals. Those efforts were enough to tempt PSV into completing a €10 million (£9m/$11m) transfer, with Pepi now gracing elite European competition in Eindhoven.

Pepi has told the Men in Blazers podcast of following in the footsteps of his boyhood idols: “I remember growing up watching players like Cristiano Ronaldo and always watching the Champions League, so my dream was always to one day be playing in the Champions League. I couldn’t believe it when it happened. It’s a dream come true. You don’t really know how you got there, it’s something that happens very fast.”

USMNT forward Pepi made his Champions League bow against Sturm Graz in the 2023-24 qualifying round – registering his first goal along the way - with the Eredvisie outfit going on to reach the last-16 after progressing out of a group that included Arsenal, Lens and Sevilla.