Rubio Rubin
Rubio Yovani Méndez Rubín is a professional footballer who plays as a forward who currently plays for Charleston Battery in the USL Championship. Born in the United States, he plays for the Guatemala national team.
Club career
Youth
Born and raised in Beaverton, Oregon, Rubin attended Whitford Middle School. He started his youth career at Westside Metros and played at Beaverton High School.Senior
Rubin signed a four-year deal with FC Utrecht upon turning eighteen in March 2014. Rubin started, played the full 90 minutes and recorded an assist in his professional debut for Utrecht on 17 August 2014, in a 2–1 victory over Willem II.He won the Beloften Eredivisie in 2015–16 with Jong FC Utrecht.
Rubin signed with Silkeborg IF of the Danish Superliga in January 2017 after being released from FC Utrecht.
After his departure from Silkeborg, Rubin signed with Stabæk for the remainder of the 2017 season.
Rubin joined Liga MX side Club Tijuana in February 2018. After mostly playing on loan with Tijuana's affiliate Dorados, Rubin joined San Diego Loyal in September 2020.
On 7 January 2021, Rubin joined MLS side Real Salt Lake. On 7 May 2021, Rubin scored the opening goal against San Jose Earthquakes with a bicycle kick. Salt Lake would go on to lose the game 1–2. The goal was selected as the 2021 MLS Goal of the Year.
On 14 January 2024, Rubin was loaned from Real Salt Lake to Liga MX club Querétaro.
Charleston Battery
On 24 April 2025, Rubin joined USL Championship side Charleston Battery.On 12 July 2025, Rubin scored his first goal for Charleston with a header in the 68th minute against New Mexico United in Isotopes Park. It proved the winning goal with the game ending 2–1, which brought Charleston to the top of the USL.
International career
United States
A former United States under-17 player, Rubin in 2012 was named U.S. Soccer Young Male Athlete of the Year.Rubin was eligible to play for Guatemala, Mexico, or the United States. He joined the United States team for the match against the Czech Republic on 3 September 2014.
He earned his first cap when he started on 14 November 2014, in a 2–1 defeat against Colombia, narrowly failing to score a header in the second half and attracting praise from manager Jürgen Klinsmann.
Guatemala
Following a one-time switch earlier in the year, Rubin made his debut for Guatemala in a 2–0 Nations League defeat to French Guiana on 2 June 2022.2023–present: Gold Cup heroics
In June 2023, Rubin was named to Guatemala's squad for the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup. During Guatemala's opening match against Cuba on 28 June 2023, he was fouled and injured in the opening ten minutes in which he was replaced by Guatemala teammate Darwin Lom. He remained in Guatemala's roster and was an unused substitute in Guatemala's second group match, a scoreless draw, against Canada on 1 July.On 4 July 2023, Rubin returned to Guatemala's starting 11 in the Gold Cup during Group D's third and final group match against Guadeloupe. He scored 2 goals, helping Guatemala secure a 3–2 victory against Guadeloupe and helping the team top the group and move onto the quarterfinals. Guatemala lost 0–1 to Jamaica in the quarterfinals.
In the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Rubin scored in the last group-stage game to help Guatemala defeat Guadeloupe 3–2 and finish second in the group, advancing them to the knockouts. In the quarterfinal against Canada, Rubin equalized for his side in the 69th minute with a header from a cross by Oscar Santis. Guatemala ended up defeating Canada in penalty kicks, a result which was widely considered an upset. Rubin became Guatemala's all-time top scorer in the Gold Cup, with four goals. Guatemala was eliminated in a 2–1 loss against the United States in the semi-finals.