Following FC Dallas Alumni Abroad: Nations League Winners

FC Dallas and its Academy have produced some of the U.S.’s top players in recent years, many of whom have left the comforts of home to ply their trade in other soccer leagues. Although they’re no longer with FC Dallas, they’ll always be a part of its history. So, why not check in to see how they’re doing? This is Following FC Dallas Alumni Abroad, presented by MoneyGram.

As of now, we're following seven FC Dallas Academy products playing in top leagues abroad: Reggie Cannon, Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi, Bryan Reynolds, Chris Richards, Tanner Tessmann and Alex Zendejas. Each month, we’ll check in to see how they’re faring with their new clubs.

Note, you can read about all these players’ FC Dallas careers at the bottom of this article.

FC Dallas Alumni Abroad: April Update

Weston McKennie

Since last month, McKennie has played 103 minutes across two games with Juventus that resulted in a 0-0 tie against Genoa, and a 1-0 loss against Lazio. In the first leg of the Coppa Italia, he played 89 minutes against Lazio and contributed one assist in their 2-0 win. Juventus are in third place of Serie A. At the end of March, he traveled back home to play with the USMNT in the Concacaf Nations League semi-final and final matches. He played all 120 minutes in their 3-1 win against Jamaica to advance to the final, where he played 90 minutes and had one assist.

Alex Zendejas

Zendejas proved to be a major contributor in the Concacaf Champions Cup for Club América. He played the full 90 minutes and scored one goal in América’s loss against Chivas in the second leg of the Round of 16. On April 2, he logged 75 minutes and scored once again in the Quarter-Finals first leg against New England. Lastly, on March 16, he played 72 minutes in a 0-0 draw against Chivas.

Ricardo Pepi

A string of appearances off the bench for Pepi has been the trend the last few weeks. In a game against Twente FC on March 17, Pepi came off the bench for the last 10 minutes and scored the sole goal in their 1-0 win. Since then, he has played 46 minutes across three games. He was named to the USMNT roster for the Concacaf Nations League. In their semi-final against Jamaica, he played 57 minutes. He remained on the bench for the final against Mexico.

Chris Richards

Another starter for the USMNT in the Concacaf Nations League, Richards played all 210 minutes across both the semi-final and final wins. Back home in the Premier League, he played 90 minutes in Crystal Palace’s match against Nottingham Forest on March 30. Shortly after that, he suffered a minor injury and that will have him out for two to three weeks. He is expected to be back on April 27.

Tanner Tessmann

Selected as the captain for both recent U.S. Men’s Olympic Soccer Team matches, Tessmann has had a busy month. In the United States’ 3-0 win against Guinea, Tessmann started and played 63 minutes. Just a few days later, he held down the midfield for the whole 90 minutes in their 2-2 draw against France. He also assisted the team’s first goal in the 86th minute to help secure the draw. With his club Venezia FC, he has played all 270 minutes in their last three matches, helping secure two wins.

Bryan Reynolds

Alongside Tessmann, Bryan Reynolds also represented the U.S. Men’s Olympic Soccer Team. He logged 15 minutes off the bench against Guinea, and started and played 74 minutes against France. With Belgian Pro League side KVC Westerlo, he logged 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw against K.R.C. Genk. Despite this result, they currently sit in 11th place and are narrowly avoiding the bottom of the standings.

Reggie Cannon

Representing Queens Park Rangers (QPR) in the EFL Championship, Cannon has played 1,301 minutes. His defensive effort has contributed to five wins and six shutouts this season. Recently, Cannon has been an unused substitute as QPR battle relegation, currently sitting at 16th in the table.

FC Dallas Roots

You’ve read about how these players are doing now. Here’s how they got their starts with FC Dallas.

Reggie Cannon joined the FC Dallas Academy in 2015 and won back-to-back U.S. Soccer Development Academy National Championships before heading off to UCLA. After one collegiate semester, Cannon signed with FC Dallas as the club’s 18^th Homegrown player. He played four seasons in Dallas, making 67 appearances and scoring two goals before joining Boavista in Portugal’s top division in 2020. Three seasons later, Cannon joined Queens Park Rangers in the EFL Championship. Cannon has played 28 times for the United States and scored one goal.

Justin Che joined FC Dallas’ youth system as 6-year-old in 2009. At 16, he began playing for North Texas SC and was included in USL League One’s All-League First Team in his debut season in 2020. The Richardson, Texas native signed a Homegrown contract with FC Dallas shortly after and played 15 games before going to Germany on loan, initially with Bayern Munich II and subsequently with TSG Hoffenheim. After two years in Germany, Che transferred to Danish club Brøndby and was sent on loan to ADO den Haag where he currently plays. Although Che hasn’t been capped by the USMNT, he’s been called up to multiple senior camps.

Weston McKennie is probably FC Dallas’ most well-known export, despite never playing for its first team. Although born in Washington state, McKennie grew up in Little Elm, Texas and developed in the FCD Academy from 2009 to 2016. After turning 18, McKennie signed for German club Schalke 04 where he’d go on to play four seasons before joining 36-time Italian champions Juventus in 2020. Apart from a half-season loan to Leeds United in the Premier League, McKennie has been with Juve for four seasons, winning the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana. The 25-year-old has been a mainstay for the U.S. Men’s National Team since 2017, earning 49 caps and scoring 11 goals.

Ricardo Pepi joined the FC Dallas Academy in 2016 from its El Paso affiliate club in his hometown. He signed his first pro contract with FCD’s second team, North Texas SC, in late 2018 as its first-ever player. Pepi famously scored a hat trick on his pro debut and went on to sign a Homegrown contract with FCD midway through 2019. Pepi enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2021, becoming an MLS All-Star and winning MLS Young Player of the Year after a 12-goal campaign. He subsequently signed for German club FC Augsburg in FCD’s record outgoing transfer. After one season in Germany, Pepi went on loan to Dutch side FC Groningen where he scored 12 goals and earned a permanent transfer to PSV Eindhoven, one of the Netherland’s biggest clubs. Pepi debuted for the USMNT in 2021 and has 10 international goals in 22 appearances.

Chris Richards never played for FC Dallas’ first team, similar to McKennie (although Richards did sign a contract with FCD). An Alabama native, Richards joined the FCD Academy from Texans SC Houston in 2017 and signed a Homegrown contract in 2018. He was then loaned from FCD to FC Bayern Munich as part of the clubs’ now-defunct player development partnership, before joining the German giants permanently a year later. Richards played five games in the Bundesliga for Bayern before joining 1899 Hoffenheim on loan for two consecutive seasons. In 2022, Richards departed Bayern for the Premier League with Crystal Palace. Richards has played 14 times for the United States and scored one goal.

Bryan Reynolds joined the FCD youth system as a 12-year-old and signed a Homegrown contract in late 2016, becoming the club’s youngest-ever player at 15 years and 147 days old. In 2019, Reynolds helped North Texas SC win the inaugural USL League Title alongside a handful of FCD Academy products. Reynolds enjoyed a breakout 2020 campaign with FC Dallas, which earned him a transfer to Italian club AS Roma the following year. Seeking more game time, Reynolds went on loan to the Belgian Pro League, first with K.V. Kortrijk and then to KVC Westerlo – where he signed permanently in 2023. Reynolds has played seven times for the United States and scored one goal.

Tanner Tessmann moved from Alabama to join the FC Dallas Academy in 2016 at 15 years old. At 17, Tessmann helped reserve side North Texas SC win the 2019 USL League One title. Although originally committing to play soccer at Clemson, Tessmann decided to go pro at 18 and signed a Homegrown contract in 2020. After one-and-a-half seasons with Dallas, Tessmann secured a transfer to Italy with Venezia – then in Serie A. Tessmann has featured for the United States on two occasions.

Alex Zendejas signed a Homegrown contract with FC Dallas after joining its Academy via its El Paso affiliate club, a path Ricardo Pepi would follow a few years later. Zendejas signed as the club’s 13^th Homegrown in 2012 and went on to make eight appearances. He subsequently joined Mexico’s Chivas Guadalajara permanently before being sent on loan to Zacatepec. In 2020, Zendejas transferred to Necaxa where he enjoyed two successful years before being recruited by Club América, one of the continent’s biggest clubs. A dual national, Zendejas originally represented Mexico internationally before filing a one-time switch to play for the United States. The 26-year-old has seven caps and scored one goal.