Following FC Dallas Alumni Abroad: Recapping the 2024-25 Seasons

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 six FC Dallas Academy products playing in top leagues abroad: 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 in April & May

Weston McKennie

Weston McKennie enjoyed arguably his best individual season with Juventus in 2024-25. The Little Elm, Texas native played 44 games, scored five goals and added four assists for the Italian giants across all competitions. As usual, McKennie contributed all over the field: the versatile 26-year-old played in NINE different positions as Juventus placed fourth in Serie A, a finish which sees them qualify for next seasons UEFA Champions League. And expect McKennie to be along for the ride as he signed a new contract in May, keeping him in Turin through the 2027-28 season. Internationally, McKennie featured four time for the U.S. Men's National Team in what was a disappointing season as the U.S. finished fourth in the Concacaf Nations League.

Alex Zendejas

Alex Zendejas had a fruitful 2024-25 season with Club América in Mexico. The winger tallied 12 goals and 12 assists across 44 games in all competitions and helped América win the Liga MX Apertura and finish runners-up in the Clausura. Zendejas and América came close to winning the Bicampeonato (winning both Apertura and Clausura in the same season) after reaching the Clausura final last month but were defeated 2-0 by Toluca in the second leg on May 25. On the international side, Zendejas made four substitute appearances for the USMNT, twice in the Nations League quarterfinals and twice in international friendlies.

Ricardo Pepi

Much like Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi logged his best individual European campaign. The El Paso native scored a career-high 18 goals in just 29 games (all competitions) for PSV Eindhoven before being sidelined by a knee injury in January. Prior to that, Pepi's season highlights include a first-ever Eredivisie hattrick against FC Groningen and a goal + assist performance against Premier League winners Liverpool in the Champions League. The 22-year-old also added another title to his trophy case as PSV lifted the Eredivisie title for the second-straight year on the final day of the season. Pepi also featured five times for the United States and scored three goals (two in the Nations League quarterfinal against Jamaica).

Tanner Tessmann

Tanner Tessmann grew in stature during his first season with Lyon in France. The 23-year-old midfielder joined Lyon from Venezia last offseason and spent most the first half of the 2024-25 campaign as substitute. 2025 brought more minutes for Tessmann and the Alabama native finished with 35 appearances and nearly 2,000 minutes played. Although Tessmann and Lyon finished a disappointing sixth in Ligue 1, they overperformed in the UEFA Europa League and reached the quarterfinals where they fell 5-4 to Manchester United after extra time. Tessmann also grew in importance for the United States, playing six times from Oct. 2024 onward having only featured twice previously.

Chris Richards

Chris Richards enjoyed a historic season with club side Crystal Palace. Another Alabama native, Richards played 32 games across all competitions and, most importantly, helped Palance win their first major trophy in club history by winning the FA Cup in May. And Richards wasn't just a bystander. The center back started the final against Manchester City and accumulated 12 clearances, 4 blocks and won 5/7 duels to earn an unexpected shutout at Wembley (Richards also started and went all 90 minutes over Palace's entire six-game Cup run). Internationally, Richards featured three times for the U.S. and even captained his country during a friendly against New Zealand in September.

Bryan Reynolds

Bryan Reynolds played a career-high 38 games during his third season with KVC Westerlo in the Belgian Pro League. Still just 23, Reynolds helped Westerlo to a ninth-place finish during the Pro League's regular season and eighth after the playoff rounds, one spot away from qualification for European competition. Reynolds also tied a career high with six goal contributions after recording two goals and four assists across all competitions.

FC Dallas Roots

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

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 26-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 been nominated for US Soccer's Male Player of the Year twice.

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 been a mainstay for the USMNT since his debut in 2020.

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 where he played three seasons before transferring to Olympique Lyon in France's top division.

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.