Abel Ruiz | |
Fullname: | Abel Ruiz Ortega[1] |
Birth Date: | 28 January 2000 |
Birth Place: | Almussafes, Spain |
Height: | 1.80 m[2] |
Position: | Forward |
Currentclub: | Girona |
Clubnumber: | 9 |
Youthyears1: | 2008–2012 |
Youthclubs1: | Valencia |
Youthyears2: | 2012–2017 |
Youthclubs2: | Barcelona |
Years1: | 2017–2020 |
Clubs1: | Barcelona B |
Caps1: | 68 |
Goals1: | 9 |
Years2: | 2019–2020 |
Clubs2: | Barcelona |
Caps2: | 1 |
Goals2: | 0 |
Years3: | 2020–2024 |
Clubs3: | Braga |
Caps3: | 123 |
Goals3: | 20 |
Years4: | 2024– |
Clubs4: | Girona |
Caps4: | 1 |
Goals4: | 0 |
Nationalyears1: | 2015–2017 |
Nationalteam1: | Spain U17 |
Nationalcaps1: | 38 |
Nationalgoals1: | 25 |
Nationalyears2: | 2017–2018 |
Nationalteam2: | Spain U18 |
Nationalcaps2: | 4 |
Nationalgoals2: | 7 |
Nationalyears3: | 2017–2019 |
Nationalteam3: | Spain U19 |
Nationalcaps3: | 18 |
Nationalgoals3: | 7 |
Nationalyears4: | 2019–2023 |
Nationalteam4: | Spain U21 |
Nationalcaps4: | 27 |
Nationalgoals4: | 13 |
Nationalyears5: | 2024 |
Nationalteam5: | Spain U23 (O.P.) |
Nationalcaps5: | 5 |
Nationalgoals5: | 1 |
Nationalyears6: | 2021– |
Nationalteam6: | Spain |
Nationalcaps6: | 3 |
Nationalgoals6: | 0 |
Club-Update: | 23:38, 15 August 2024 (UTC) |
Nationalteam-Update: | 9 August 2024 |
Abel Ruiz Ortega (pronounced as /es/; born 28 January 2000) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Girona and the Spain national team.
Formed at Barcelona, where he made one first-team appearance, he moved to Braga in January 2020, where he won the Taça de Portugal in 2021.
Ruiz set the record for caps and goals for Spain's under-17 team, winning the European Championship in 2017 and finishing runners-up in 2016 and at the 2017 World Cup. He made his senior international debut in 2021.
Born in Almussafes, Valencian Community, Ruiz joined Barcelona's youth setup in 2012, from Valencia.[3] On 21 November 2016, he renewed his contract with the club.[4]
On 9 April 2017, while still a junior, Ruiz made his senior debut with the reserves, coming on as a late substitute for Jesús Alfaro in a 2–0 Segunda División B away win against Badalona; he also became the first player born in the 2000s to make an appearance for the club's senior ranks.[5]
After Barcelona B's promotion, Ruiz made his professional team debut on 28 August 2017, replacing David Concha in an 3–0 home loss against Tenerife in the Segunda División championship.[6] Four days later he scored his first professional goal in a 2–2 draw against Granada.[7]
Ruiz had his first-team debut in the Supercopa de Catalunya on 7 March 2018, scoring the winning penalty in a shootout against Espanyol.[8] His La Liga debut came on 12 May 2019 in a 2–0 win against Getafe, as a substitute for Philippe Coutinho for the final 21 minutes at the Camp Nou.[9]
On 31 January 2020, Ruiz joined Portugal's Braga on loan for the rest of the season, with a mandatory purchase for €8 million and a buy-back clause.[10] He made his debut on 20 February in the round of 32 first leg of the UEFA Europa League away to Rangers, starting the game and scoring in a 3–2 loss.[11] Totalling eight appearances over the season, he scored his first Primeira Liga goal on 4 July soon after entering in a 4–0 home win over Aves.[12]
Ruiz was the top scorer in the Taça de Portugal as Braga won it in 2020–21, contributing seven goals in as many games.[13] This included two in a 3–2 win away to Porto in the semi-finals.[14]
In 2021–22, Ruiz scored in each leg of a 3–1 aggregate win over Monaco in the Europa League last 16.[15] He netted the only goal of the game in the next fixture against Rangers, though the Scots won 3–2 over the two games after extra time.[16]
On 27 June 2024, Ruiz signed for La Liga club Girona on a contract until June 2029.[17]
Ruiz made his debut for the Spain under-17 team on 25 October 2015, starting and scoring the first in a 2–0 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualification win against Andorra.[18] He was also named in the list for the finals in Azerbaijan,[19] despite being one year younger than his teammates.
Ruiz finished the competition with four goals, being awarded the Silver Boot; he was also included in the tournament's best eleven.[20] During the 2017 edition in Croatia, he captained the side as Spain achieved their ninth title.[21]
On 22 September 2017, Ruiz was included in Santiago Denia's squad ahead of the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup,[22] and scored two braces in the tournament, scoring two goals in a 4–0 win against Niger on 10 October, and two more in a 3–1 semi-finals win against Mali on 25 October.[23]
Due to the isolation of some national team players following the positive COVID-19 test of Sergio Busquets, Spain's under-21 squad were called up for the international friendly against Lithuania on 8 June 2021.[24] Ruiz made his senior debut in the 4–0 win in Leganés, missing a penalty in the match.[25] [26]
At the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, in the 20th second of the match against Croatia, Ruiz scored the quickest goal in the history of the tournament, bringing a 1–0 victory to Spain and advancement to the quarter-finals.[27]
Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Barcelona B | 2016–17 | Segunda División B | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
2017–18 | Segunda División | 26 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 3 | ||||||
2018–19 | Segunda División B | 21 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 21 | 3 | ||||||
2019–20 | Segunda División B | 19 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 3 | ||||||
Total | 68 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 68 | 9 | |||||||
Barcelona | 2018–19 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
Braga (loan) | 2019–20 | Primeira Liga | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 8 | 2 | ||
Braga | 2020–21 | Primeira Liga | 25 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 39 | 11 | ||
2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 5 | ||
2022–23 | Primeira Liga | 34 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 1 | — | 51 | 12 | |||
2023–24 | Primeira Liga | 30 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 1 | — | 48 | 7 | |||
Total | 117 | 19 | 17 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 181 | 36 | |||
Girona | 2024–25 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
Career total | 193 | 29 | 17 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 35 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 259 | 46 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Spain | 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
2022 | 0 | 0 | ||
2023 | 0 | 0 | ||
2024 | 1 | 0 | ||
Total | 3 | 0 |
Barcelona Youth
Barcelona
Braga
Spain U17
Spain U18
Spain U19
Spain U23
Individual
Records