Abel Ruiz

Abel Ruiz Ortega (Spanish pronunciation: [aˈβel ˈrwiθ]; born 28 January 2000) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Primeira Liga club Braga and the Spain national team.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Ruiz and the second or maternal family name is Ortega.
Abel Ruiz
Ruiz with Spain U19 in 2019
Personal information
Full name Abel Ruiz Ortega[1]
Date of birth (2000-01-28) 28 January 2000
Place of birth Almussafes, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Braga
Number 9
Youth career
2008–2012 Valencia
2012–2017 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2020 Barcelona B 68 (9)
2019–2020 Barcelona 1 (0)
2020 → Braga (loan) 6 (1)
2020– Braga 50 (5)
National team‡
2015–2017 Spain U17 38 (25)
2018 Spain U18 4 (7)
2017–2019 Spain U19 18 (7)
2019– Spain U21 10 (3)
2021– Spain 2 (0)
Honours
Men's football
Representing  Spain
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Winner2019 Armenia
Mediterranean Games
Winner2018 Spain
FIFA U-17 World Cup
Runner-up2017 India
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Winner2017 Croatia
Runner-up2016 Azerbaijan
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 07:04, 26 April 2022 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 12 November 2021

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.

Club career

Barcelona

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 0–3 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]

Braga

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 2–3 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 7 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]

International career

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.[17] He was also named in the list for the finals in Azerbaijan,[18] 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.[19] During the 2017 edition in Croatia, he captained the side as Spain achieved their ninth title.[20]

On 22 September 2017, Ruiz was included in Santiago Denia's squad ahead of the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup,[21] 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.[22]

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.[23] Ruiz made his senior debut in the 4–0 win in Leganés, missing a penalty in the match.[24][25]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 17 March 2022[26]
Club 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 20————20
2017–18 Segunda División 263————263
2018–19 Segunda División B 213————213
2019–20 Segunda División B 193————193
Total 689————689
Barcelona 2018–19 La Liga 1000—00—10
Braga (loan) 2019–20 Primeira Liga 61000021—82
Braga 2020–21 Primeira Liga 253773140—3911
2021–22 Primeira Liga 20220208210334
Total 5169751143108017
Career total 1201597511431014926

    International
    As of match played 5 September 2021[27]
    Appearances and goals by national team and year
    National teamYearAppsGoals
    Spain 202120
    Total20

    Honours

    Club

    Barcelona Youth

    Barcelona

    Braga

    International

    Spain U17

    Spain U18

    Spain U19

    Individual

    Records

    References
    1. "Acta del Partido celebrado el 12 de mayo de 2019, en Barcelona" [Minutes of the Match held on 12 May 2019, in Barcelona] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
    2. "ABEL RUIZ" (in Portuguese). SC Braga. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
    3. "Abel Ruiz, el futuro nueve de España" [Abel Ruiz, the future nine of Spain] (in Spanish). Sphera Sports. 20 May 2017. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
    4. "Abel Ruiz se queda en el Barça" [Abel Ruiz stays at Barça] (in Spanish). Sport. 21 November 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
    5. "El almusafense Abel Ruiz debuta con el filial del FC Barcelona en la Segunda B" [The almusafense Abel Ruiz debuts with the reserve team of FC Barcelona in Segunda B] (in Spanish). Levante-EMV. 9 April 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
    6. "El Tenerife se pone líder en Barcelona" [Tenerife become leader in Barcelona] (in Spanish). Marca. 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
    7. "Tercer empate de un Granada que no termina de arrancar" [Third draw of a Granada which cannot get going] (in Spanish). Marca. 1 September 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
    8. "Abel Ruiz, protagonista en la tanda de penaltis" [Abel Ruiz had his debut by scoring on the penalty shoot-out] (in Spanish). Sport. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
    9. "Abel Ruiz makes first team debut". FC Barcelona. 12 May 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
    10. "Abel Ruiz leaves for SC Braga". FC Barcelona. 31 January 2020.
    11. "Rangers' Ianis Hagi completes thrilling Europa League comeback against Braga". The Guardian. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
    12. "Sporting blanks offer Braga hope in hunt for a top three finish". PortuGOAL. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
    13. Tovar, Rui Miguel (24 May 2021). "Braga levanta a Taça em ano de centenário" [Braga lift the Taça in centenary year]. Wort (in Portuguese). Retrieved 1 June 2021.
    14. Kundert, Tom (4 March 2021). "Braga knock Porto out of Portuguese Cup in a thriller at the Dragão". PortuGOAL. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
    15. Mair, Steven (21 March 2022). "Braga frontman reacts to Rangers draw as Monaco slayer Abel Ruiz insists he's out to 'make history'". Daily Record. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
    16. Ames, Nick (7 April 2022). "Abel Ruiz's winner gives Braga narrow first-leg victory over Rangers". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
    17. "Abel Ruiz abre el camino de la victoria de la selección española sub'17 ante Andorra" [Abel Ruiz shows the way to victory of Spain under-17s against Andorra] (in Spanish). Sport. 25 October 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
    18. "Cuatro representantes valencianos, rumbo a la Eurocopa Sub-17 de Azerbaiyán" [Four Valencians, to the under-17 European Championship in Azerbaijan] (in Spanish). FFCV. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
    19. "Ten to watch from U17 EURO in Azerbaijan". UEFA.com. 23 May 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
    20. "Spain secure record third U17 EURO title". UEFA.com. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
    21. "Oficial | Esta es la convocatoria para la Copa Mundial Sub-17 de India" [Official | This is the call-up for the Under-17 World Cup in India] (in Spanish). SeFutbol. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
    22. FIFA.com. "FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017". FIFA.com. FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
    23. "Oficial | Lista de convocados para el encuentro ante Lituania" [Official | Squad list for the match against Lithuania]. Royal Spanish Football Federation (in Spanish). 6 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
    24. "Spain youngsters impress in Lithuania rout". Marca. 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
    25. "Explica .co – Latest news from around the world".
    26. Abel Ruiz at Soccerway
    27. "Abel Ruiz". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
    28. "Chelsea 0–3 Barcelona". UEFA.com. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
    29. Ribeiro, Patrick (23 May 2021). "Braga beat nine-man Benfica to lift Portuguese Cup". PortuGOAL. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
    30. "U17 Top scorers in Azerbaijan". UEFA.com. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
    31. "Technical Report – Team of the Tournament". UEFA. July 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
    32. "Abel Ruiz and Amine Gouiri equal record". UEFA.com. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
    33. "Ruiz level with José Gomes as top U17 EURO scorer". UEFA.com. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
    34. "Abel Ruiz, récord de la Sub 17" [Abel Ruiz, under-17s record holder] (in Spanish). Marca. 16 May 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
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