.jpg) Ruidíaz withSeattle Sounders FC in 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Raúl Mario Ruidíaz Misitich | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1990-07-25)25 July 1990 (age 35) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Villa María del Triunfo, Peru | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Striker | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Atlético Grau | |||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2008 | Universitario | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Universitario | 66 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | →U América (loan) | 11 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Universidad de Chile | 15 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | Coritiba | 18 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | →Universitario (loan) | 64 | (35) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Melgar | 14 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Universitario | 22 | (22) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | →Morelia (loan) | 34 | (20) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Morelia | 38 | (20) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2024 | Seattle Sounders FC | 139 | (72) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Atlético Grau | 26 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2023 | Peru | 54 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 29 December 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 12 September 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Raúl Mario Ruidíaz Misitich (Spanish pronunciation:[raˈulrujˈðiaθmisiˈtitʃ]; born 25 July 1990) is a Peruvian professionalfootballer who plays as astriker forLiga 1 clubAtlético Grau.
His nickname, "The Flea", stems from his small frame and his ability to get past defenders with great ball control. Ruidíaz began his career atUniversitario de Deportes in Peru and later played forChilean Primera División clubUniversidad de Chile andMonarcas Morelia inLiga MX between stints with Universitario. He joinedSeattle Sounders FC in 2018 and became their all-time top goalscorer inMajor League Soccer play during his seven seasons with the club.
Ruidíaz grew up in theLima neighbourhood ofVilla María del Triunfo. He is of maternal Croatian descent.[2] He made his first steps in club football atPrimera División clubUniversitario de Deportes aged eight. In January 2008, the player was promoted to the first adult team and immediately loaned toAmérica Cochahuayco, the club's filial team, directed by the coachHéctor Chumpitaz, a historic football player of thePeruvian national team in the1982 World Cup. His first professional goal was againstHijos de Acosvinchos. After the arrival ofJorge Gonzáles, he began to play as astriker.
Ruidíaz made his professional debut in thePeruvian First Division on 4 October 2009 againstTotal Chalaco in theMonumental, at the age of 19. The coach at the time,Juan Reynoso, decided to play him from the start of the match, which finished 2–1 in favor of Universitario.[citation needed] He finished the season by scoring 3 goals in 7 games in thePeruvian 2009 Championship and also won his first National title withUniversitario de Deportes. Ruidíaz has often been calledpequeño Messi (little Messi) in his home country, mainly because of his ability to charge a player one on one, as well as his unique technical skills.Ruidiaz was listed among the greatest talents of South American football by O Globo Brazilian newspaper in 2010.[citation needed]
On 20 January 2012, Ruidíaz was appointed as new player of thePrimera División clubUniversidad de Chile.[3] Despite some early success with his new club, Raul's lack of match fitness and the emergence of young talented strikers at the club Ruidíaz fell out of favour with the Universidad de Chile manager towards the end of the season. On 15 July 2012, Ruidíaz and clubUniversidad de Chile had mutually agreed to release him.[4]
After participating in theCopa América Centenario, Ruidíaz signed for Mexican clubMonarcas Morelia on a season-long loan deal for a reported fee of €105,000.[5] He was presented to the media inMorelia on 1 July 2016 and was given the number 9 shirt.[6] Ruidíaz made hisLiga MX debut on 15 July 2016 replacingDiego Valdés in a 2–0 away loss toTijuana.[7] The following week, in Morelia's home opener, Ruidíaz scored his first goal in a 2–2 draw againstQuerétaro.[8] On 1 August 2016, Ruidíaz scored ahat-trick in a 4–2 away win againstSantos Laguna.[9] Ruidíaz ended the season with 11 goals which made him the season's top scorer along withTijuana'sDayro Moreno.[10]
Before Morelia's Clausura 2017 home opener againstTijuana, Ruidíaz was honored with a commemorative plaque atEstadio Morelos for being the club's first Liga MX scoring champion.[11] Ruidíaz later scored the second goal in Morelia's 2–0 opening match victory over Tijuana.[12] Later that night, it was announced Morelia signed Ruidíaz to a permanent three-year transfer.[13] Later in the season Ruidíaz scored his second hat-trick for Morelia in a 4–0 win overUNAM.[14] In the final game of the season, Ruidíaz scored a crucial game-winning goal in a 2–1 away victory overMonterrey.[15] The goal helped Morelia avoid relegation, helped the team qualify to theliguilla and helped Ruidíaz win his second straight Liga MX scoring title.[15][16][17]
On 6 June 2018, it was reported that Ruidíaz would be signing a contract with MLS sideSeattle Sounders FC.[18] The signing was made official on 29 June, as the club announced Ruidiaz as aDesignated Player. He set club records for being the fastest to score 10 goals in MLS play (in 14 games),[19] and scoring in the most consecutive appearances (8 games).[20]
On 10 November 2019, Ruidíaz scored Seattle's final goal in a 3–1 home win overToronto FC in theMLS Cup Final.[21]
In the2022 CONCACAF Champions League Final, he scored two goals in a 3–0 win in the second leg againstUNAM, in which his club secured their first title in the competition by winning 5–2 on aggregate.[22] This was the first time (and as of March 2025, still the only time) that an MLS team has won theCONCACAF Champions League.
Ruidíaz became the top goalscorer across all competitions in the team's MLS era on March 23, 2024, surpassingFredy Montero's 79-goal record with the Sounders.[23]
On 4 December 2024, the Sounders announced that Ruidíaz would not return for an eighth season after his contract was not renewed.[24]
On 3 April 2025,Atlético Grau of thePeruvian Primera División signed Ruidíaz to a one-year contract.[25]
Ruidíaz made his international debut on 7 June 2011 in a 0–0 draw againstJapan inNiigata in theKirin Cup. In the same month, Ruidíaz was called up by coachSergio Markarián to represent Peru in theCopa América held inArgentina, Ruidíaz was a member of the Peruvian squad that finished3rd, after a 4–1 victory overVenezuela, Ruidíaz made only one appearance in the tournament in a match againstChile in which Peru lost 1–0.
Ruidíaz was named as a member of Peru's 23-man squad for theCopa América Centenario in 2016. In Peru's third group match againstBrazil on 12 June 2016, Ruidíaz scored a controversial goal, a winner in the 75th minute by guiding the ball into the net with his arm. After a lengthy discussion between the referee and his assistant, the goal was allowed to stand, and Brazil went on to lose 1–0, resulting in their elimination from the tournament. The result sent Peru through to theknockout stage as winners of Group B.[26]
In May 2018, he was named in Peru's provisional 24 mansquad for the2018 World Cup in Russia.[27]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Universitario | 2009 | Liga 1 | 9 | 3 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 3 | ||
| 2010 | Liga 1 | 35 | 7 | — | 2[b] | 0 | — | 37 | 7 | |||
| 2011 | Liga 1 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6[c] | 4 | — | 28 | 7 | ||
| Total | 66 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 17 | ||
| U América FC (loan) | 2009 | Liga 2 | ? | ? | — | — | — | ? | ? | |||
| Universidad de Chile | 2012 | Chilean Primera División | 15 | 8 | — | 9[b] | 0 | — | 24 | 8 | ||
| Coritiba | 2012 | Série A | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 4[d] | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| Universitario (loan) | 2013 | Liga 1 | 39 | 21 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 21 | ||
| 2014 | Liga 1 | 25 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 6[b] | 1 | — | 41 | 19 | ||
| Total | 64 | 35 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 40 | ||
| Melgar | 2015 | Liga 1 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 3 | — | — | 20 | 5 | ||
| Universitario | 2015 | Liga 1 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 1 | — | 14 | 13 | |
| 2016 | Liga 1 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 10 | |||
| Total | 22 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 23 | ||
| Universitario total | 152 | 70 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 178 | 80 | ||
| Morelia (loan) | 2016–17 | Liga MX | 34 | 20 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 20 | ||
| Morelia | 2017–18 | Liga MX | 38 | 20 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 39 | 21 | ||
| Total | 72 | 40 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 41 | ||
| Seattle Sounders FC | 2018 | MLS | 14 | 10 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[e] | 3 | 16 | 13 | |
| 2019 | MLS | 22 | 11 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[e] | 4 | 26 | 15 | ||
| 2020 | MLS | 17[f] | 12 | — | 2[g] | 0 | 5[h] | 2 | 24 | 14 | ||
| 2021 | MLS | 26 | 17 | — | — | 4[i] | 2 | 30 | 19 | |||
| 2022 | MLS | 18 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 6[g] | 3 | — | 24 | 12 | ||
| 2023 | MLS | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | 6[j] | 0 | 24 | 5 | ||
| 2024 | MLS | 24 | 8 | 2 | 0 | — | 6[k] | 0 | 32 | 8 | ||
| Total | 139 | 72 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 27 | 11 | 176 | 86 | ||
| Career total | 399 | 192 | 22 | 8 | 33 | 9 | 31 | 11 | 486 | 220 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peru | 2011 | 3 | 0 |
| 2012 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 12 | 3 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 54 | 4 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 March 2016 | Estadio Nacional de Lima,Lima, Peru | 11 |  Venezuela | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 28 May 2016 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium,Washington D.C., United States | 13 |  El Salvador | 1–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 12 June 2016 | Gillette Stadium,Foxborough, United States | 15 |  Brazil | 1–0 | 1–0 | Copa América Centenario |
| 4 | 27 March 2018 | Red Bull Arena,Harrison, United States | 29 |  Iceland | 2–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
Universitario de Deportes
Universidad de Chile
Seattle Sounders FC
Peru
Individual
Peru squads | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||
