Ricardo Pepi claims that he hung up on Gregg Berhalter during a phone call prior the 2022 World Cup. The call from the USMNT head coach was to tell the striker that he did not make the World Cup roster. Pepi explained the incident during an appearance on the Kon Veel Minder podcast.

When asked if he remembers when he found out about the snub, Pepi claimed the remembered ‘the exact moment.’

“I hopped on a phone call with the national team head coach, and you know, he said that I wasn’t on the roster. Then I just hung up the phone on him,” said Pepi.

Ricardo Pepi did not bother questioning Gregg Berhalter

The center forward was then questioned if he ever asked why he was left off of the World Cup roster.

“No, not really to be honest,” Pepi responded. “It was just something that I was in shock. I was in shock because it took me like five minutes to be able to just like get it in my mind, you know?”

“At first, I just couldn’t believe it. And then I was just talking to the coach. Then, when we hung up the phone, I just called my agent immediately. Then, I called my dad. And they thought I was playing with them. I was shocked to be honest”

Teenage striker having good season in Europe

Pepi is currently in a successful loan spell with Dutch side Groningen. The 19-year-old forward has scored seven goals in 10 total matches with the club. He has also added two assists during this stretch. Six of these seven goals were scored prior to Berhalter’s announcement of the World Cup roster.

The United States struggled to score during the tournament in Qatar. They managed just three total goals in four matches at the World Cup. Poland was the only other team to qualify for the knockout round that scored as few as three goals in the competition.

PHOTO: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire