Interesting Facts of the Most Famous Guatemalan Football Player, Carlos Ruiz
Interesting Facts of the Most Famous Guatemalan Football Player, Carlos Ruiz. It will be quite difficult to list the Guatemalan football players that play in a famous professional football league. However, it does not mean that Guatemala does not have famous football players. There will be several names that will appear when people are searching for the best Guatemalan football players but Carlos Ruiz will appear in the search result often. It seems that he can be considered as the most famous football player from Guatemala. Yet, here are some interesting facts about Ruiz.
Playing Football in the Streets during Childhood
Carlos Ruiz might be one of the most successful and wealthiest football players in Guatemala. People have heard of the story of many football players who can be successful through football although their family background was not that promising. Ruiz was definitely not born into a wealthy family at all. He grew up in zone 21 which was known as a deprived neighborhood in Guatemala City. Nevertheless, he loved football and trained his skill playing the ball in the streets along with his friend. He has been successful but he does not forget his roots. He still visits his childhood neighborhood today.
World Record and MVP
He might come from the deprived neighborhood in the capital city of Guatemala but his achievement is pretty amazing and even inspiring. People must be amazed that he holds the world record of the most goals scored during the qualifying matches of the World Cup. Ruiz took part in more than give qualification competitions and he made 39 goals. Because of this achievement, Ruiz got Pescado or Fish as a nickname. Unfortunately, he could not bring his team to an international tournament. He might not be fortunate enough to be part of the Guatemalan national football team but he was not lacking achievement at all especially when he was playing for Major League Soccer in the United States. He was in MLS for eight seasons. He won the MVP award when playing for LA Galaxy in the 2002 season.
Life after Professional Footballer
A football player indeed cannot be a professional player forever. There was a time when Carlos Ruiz had to stop his career as a professional football player. However, it does not mean that he completely left the football world. After his career in professional sports ended, he started in punditry and worked as an analyst in Miami. He was also running for president of Guatemala national football federation. He also runs a business with his brand of the Mexican agave spirit called Hechizo that is sold not only in Guatemala but also in the United States. https://selecciondeguatemala.net/a-brief-history-of-the-guatemala-football-journey/
Reputation on and out of the Football FieldĀ
Carlos Ruiz has good achievements and also a tricky reputation in the professional football world. It seems that he was mastering the dark arts of football playing that can help him reach his goal. He would do anything to win. Even his teammates do not want to play against him in the field. He loved partying and there was a time when it caused him trouble. He is also very active and opens on his social media account.