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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Borderland had two representatives on the field Thursday night as Ricardo Pepi and Alex Zendejas appeared for the United States in its final group stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Pepi, an El Paso and San Elizario native, earned the start against Türkiye at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It marked his third appearance of the tournament and his second consecutive start after opening the previous match against Australia.

The striker played all 90 minutes, becoming one of the Americans to log a full match as the U.S. closed out Group D play.

Turkey’s Ozan Kabak grabs United States’ Ricardo Pepi during a World Cup Group D soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Zendejas, who was born in Ciudad Juárez and raised in El Paso, made his World Cup debut after entering as a substitute in the 76th minute. The appearance marked the 15th senior international cap of his career and his first on soccer’s biggest stage.

United States’ Alex Zendejas (26) and Turkey’s Salih Ozcan battle for the ball during the World Cup Group D soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Türkiye scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner to hand the United States a 3-2 defeat, giving the Americans their first loss of the tournament.
Despite the result, the loss had no impact on the standings.
The United States had already secured first place in Group D and clinched a berth in the Round of 32 with its 2-0 victory over Australia last week.

The Americans will now shift their focus to the knockout stage, where they’ll face Bosnia and Herzegovina next Wednesday with a place in the Round of 16 on the line.
For the Borderland, Thursday’s match added another milestone to an already memorable World Cup, with two local products representing the United States on the sport’s biggest stage.
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