Rubén Duarte Sánchez (born 18 October 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Liga MX club UNAM. Mainly a left-back, he can also play as a central defender.

Rubén Duarte
Personal information
Full name Rubén Duarte Sánchez[1]
Date of birth (1995-10-18) 18 October 1995 (age 29)[1]
Place of birth Almería, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
UNAM
Youth career
Los Molinos
2008–2009 Poli Ejido
2009–2012 Espanyol
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2015 Espanyol B 72 (1)
2015–2017 Espanyol 36 (0)
2017–2024 Alavés 218 (3)
2024– UNAM 14 (0)
International career
2011 Spain U16 4 (1)
2012 Spain U17 2 (1)
2013 Spain U18 2 (0)
2013–2014 Spain U19 10 (0)
2015–2016 Spain U21 9 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 01:11, 11 November 2024 (UTC)

He made his La Liga debut with Espanyol, and spent most of his career with Alavés, totalling 231 appearances in seven seasons.[2]

Club career

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Espanyol

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Born in Almería, Andalusia, Duarte joined RCD Espanyol's youth system in 2009, aged 13,[3] after spells at Los Molinos CF and Polideportivo Ejido. In 2012, he was linked to Manchester City,[4] and made his senior debut with the reserves in the Segunda División B.

On 7 January 2015, Duarte made his first-team debut, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 away loss against Valencia CF in that season's Copa del Rey.[5] His maiden La Liga appearance occurred on 8 February, against the same opponent and with the same scoreline, but at the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat.[6]

Duarte renewed his contract with the Catalan club on 11 June 2015, signing until 2019 and being promoted to the main squad.[7]

Alavés

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On 29 May 2017, after falling down the pecking order, Duarte signed a three-year deal at Deportivo Alavés in the same league.[8] He played 24 matches in his first season, in a 14th-place finish.[9]

Duarte scored his first goal in the Spanish top division – and as a professional – on 16 May 2021, in a 4–2 home win over Granada CF.[10][11] In July 2023, after helping to another promotion to the main tier, he renewed his contract until 2026.[12]

On 9 July 2024, Duarte became a free agent.[13]

UNAM

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Hours after leaving Alavés, Duarte moved abroad for the first time in his career, being announced at Liga MX side Club Universidad Nacional.[14]

International career

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After playing for Spain at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels, Duarte was first called to the full side on 26 May 2015 for a friendly with Costa Rica and a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Belarus.[15]

Career statistics

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As of match played 26 May 2024[16][17]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Espanyol B 2012–13 Segunda División B 21 0 21 0
2013–14 32 1 32 1
2014–15 19 0 19 0
Total 72 1 0 0 0 0 72 1
Espanyol 2014–15 La Liga 11 0 4 0 15 0
2015–16 22 0 3 0 25 0
2016–17 3 0 2 0 5 0
Total 36 0 9 0 0 0 45 0
Alavés 2017–18 La Liga 24 0 2 0 26 0
2018–19 33 0 0 0 33 0
2019–20 31 0 0 0 31 0
2020–21 31 1 0 0 31 1
2021–22 34 0 0 0 0 0 34 0
2022–23 Segunda División 37 2 3 0 4 0 44 2
2023–24 La Liga 28 2 4 1 0 0 32 3
Total 218 5 9 1 4 0 231 6
Career total 326 6 18 1 4 0 348 7

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Rubén Duarte". Diario AS. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  2. ^ "El almeriense Rubén Duarte, rumbo al Pumas de México" [Almería native Rubén Duarte, heading to Mexico's Pumas]. Diario de Almería (in Spanish). 3 July 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Rubén Duarte, infantil del Poli Ejido, ficha por el RCD Espanyol" [Rubén Duarte, infantil from Poli Ejido, signs for RCD Espanyol] (in Spanish). Join Futbol. 22 July 2009. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  4. ^ "Ruben Duarte (RCD Espanyol), en la órbita del Manchester City" [Ruben Duarte (RCD Espanyol), Manchester City's target] (in Spanish). Join Futbol. 18 July 2012. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  5. ^ Aldunate, Ramiro (7 January 2015). "El Valencia aprovecha la inercia" [Valencia take advantage of inertia]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  6. ^ Villalobos, Fran (8 February 2015). "A Champions por la izquierda" [Taking the left lane to the Champions League]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  7. ^ "Duarte, renovado hasta 2019" [Duarte, renewed until 2019] (in Spanish). RCD Espanyol. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  8. ^ "El Alavés incorpora a Rubén Duarte, el primer fichaje de la temporada" [Alavés add Rubén Duarte, the first signing of the season] (in Spanish). Deportivo Alavés. 29 May 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  9. ^ Fuentes, Luis (28 June 2018). "El Alavés se ahorra 100.000 euros con Duarte" [Alavés save 100.000 euros with Duarte]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  10. ^ Lekuona, Javier (16 May 2021). "Festín del Alavés para seguir un año más en Primera" [Alavés feast to remain in Primera one more year]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  11. ^ Aroca, Jon (17 May 2021). "Bautismo de oro en el día soñado" [Golden baptism in dreamed day]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Rubén Duarte amplía su vinculación con el Deportivo Alavés hasta 2026" [Rubén Duarte extends his link with Deportivo Alavés until 2026] (in Spanish). Deportivo Alavés. 8 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  13. ^ "Rubén Duarte finaliza su etapa en el Deportivo Alavés" [Rubén Duarte ends his spell at Deportivo Alavés] (in Spanish). Deportivo Alavés. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  14. ^ Regis, Juan (9 July 2024). "Rubén Duarte, anunciado oficialmente como jugador de Pumas para el Apertura 2024" [Rubén Duarte, officially announced as Pumas player for the 2024 Apertura] (in Spanish). TUDN. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  15. ^ Juárez, María Carmen (26 May 2015). "Rubén Duarte, convocado por Del Bosque" [Rubén Duarte, called up by Del Bosque]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  16. ^ Rubén Duarte at BDFutbol
  17. ^ Rubén Duarte at Soccerway
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