Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Abel Ruiz Ortega [1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | 28 January 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Almussafes, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) [2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team 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 | 114 | (16) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015–2017 | Spain U17 | 38 | (25) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2017–2018 | Spain U18 | 4 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2017–2019 | Spain U19 | 18 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019–2023 | Spain U21 | 27 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021– | Spain | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:38, 21 April 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 July 2023 |
Abel Ruiz Ortega (Spanish pronunciation: [aˈβel ˈrwiθ]; born 28 January 2000) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Portuguese Primeira Liga club Braga 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]
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]
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. [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 | 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 [a] | 1 | — | 8 | 2 | |
Braga | 2020–21 | Primeira Liga | 25 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 [a] | 0 | — | 39 | 11 | |
2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 [a] | 3 | 1 [b] | 0 | 43 | 5 | |
2022–23 | Primeira Liga | 34 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 8 [c] | 1 | — | 51 | 12 | ||
2023–24 | Primeira Liga | 27 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 [d] | 1 | — | 45 | 4 | ||
Total | 114 | 16 | 17 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 178 | 33 | ||
Career total | 189 | 26 | 17 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 35 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 255 | 43 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Spain | 2021 | 2 | 0 |
Total | 2 | 0 |
Barcelona Youth
Barcelona
Braga
Spain U17
Spain U18
Spain U19
Individual
Records