World champion with Spain and double winner of the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, Fabian Ruiz, 30 years old, Parisian midfielder, spoke at length in an interview with Téléfoot. The Spaniard looks back on his immense record, his ambitions, his values, Luis Enrique and his dream of the Ballon d’Or.
Ruiz “It was a unique, unforgettable moment”
How are you, Fabian?
“Very well, how about you? »
Fabian, thank you for having us. I have a little video for you. Our world champion, with number 8, Fabian Ruiz! Was that your favorite song?
“I didn’t say it, but you had the wrong idea. I had chosen another, I had chosen a song by Estopa, who are my friends.
I had the opportunity to listen to this one, but I also knew it, and it was an unforgettable moment. It was “Paseo”, from Estopa. It’s one of my favorite songs, I listen to it a lot, and I also know the group, the brothers. I chose this one, but I don’t know why they had the wrong idea. Maybe I forgot it. »
You’ve been world champion for a little over a month. What feeling have you had since this great evening?
“The truth is incredible. After everything we experienced in this World Cup, after the celebration that we had the chance to experience with our friends, with our entire country, in Madrid, it was a unique, unforgettable moment, and I think it will go down in history. Watching this video and remembering it is very beautiful. »
Ruiz “It’s a tradition in my village”
There is a tradition regarding tomatoes in Spain, can you explain to me?
“Yes, it’s a tradition in my village, in Los Palacios. When we win a title with our team, it’s like a gift. I was lucky enough to receive this gift three times.
It’s a tradition that takes place in my village. I hope I can have the opportunity to obtain other titles and to obtain this gift which is very beautiful for us. »
Did you eat it all?
“No, I couldn’t eat it all. It was a lot of kilos. I gave it to family, to my friends, and we ate it all.
Tomatoes are one of the most charming things in our village, because they are very good. »
Ruiz: “I want to keep winning”
You are a European champion with Spain, now a world champion, a two-time Champions League winner with PSG, and have won an Intercontinental Cup, two UEFA Super Cups, four French league titles, and two Coupes de France. It’s incredible.
“Yes, it’s incredible. It’s something I never imagined—winning so many titles, and titles as important as the ones I’ve achieved. I’ve had a great career path, especially in recent years, in terms of the trophies I’ve won.
I am very happy and privileged to have won so many titles with my club and my team. It’s an honor for me, and I hope to win more titles because I still have a career ahead of me and I want to keep winning.”
Have you completed the game?
“No, not yet. It’s true that I’ve achieved everything, but I’m an ambitious player and I want to keep winning. I want to keep reliving all those magnificent moments I’ve experienced.
I want to be able to win new titles. These are unique moments in the world of football. I’m an ambitious player, and I work to improve and help my team, just as I’ve done at Paris Saint-Germain.”
Ruiz: “I don’t like losing”
Is your philosophy always to win more?
“Yes, I think that’s what has driven me since I was very young. I’ve worked my whole life to reach the top level. I’m a player who loves to improve and win.
We are elite athletes, and we are ambitious. I always love winning. I don’t like losing.
I work hard and take care of myself. Every day, I focus on football so I can keep winning and improving my team. I’ve been lucky enough to win a lot, and I’m going to try to do it again.
That’s the hardest part of football, and it’s one of my goals.”
Ruiz: “Everyone was happy for me”
What kind of welcome did you receive upon returning to the club?
“A very warm one. I have friends and people I know working here. It was an incredible moment.
Everyone congratulated me. Everyone was happy for me. Everyone understood what it means to be a World Cup-winning player.
After the match, it was also about friends rejoicing in each other’s success. I thank them for all the love they showed me during the World Cup. The messages of support from all the players, the president, the coach, everyone working here, and Luis Campos—it was very moving for me.”
Did you tease your teammates, Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué?
“No, not right after the match, because I understand that wasn’t the time for jokes. But once some time had passed and I was back here—yes, we shared a few jokes, though not many.
I know that, ultimately, I would have wanted to win it too. It’s a very hard title to win; it’s one of the most prestigious for any player, and those are moments that stay with you forever.”
Ruiz: “Why not dream of winning the Ballon d’Or?”
Luis Enrique listed your achievements when you returned to training. He even spoke of you as a potential Ballon d’Or winner; that’s certainly gratifying.
“My reaction is to thank a coach like Luis Enrique for saying those things about me. It’s a moment of recognition for all the hard work I’ve put in over the years.” I’ve always said that, for me, the most important things are team awards—everything we’ve won as a squad—but it’s also true that every player dreams of receiving individual awards in recognition of all their hard work.
Why not dream of winning the Ballon d’Or? It would bring great joy to the footballer I am.
Ruiz: “Why not dream of being among the top contenders?”
You finished 24th in the Ballon d’Or rankings last season. What is the goal for this season?
“I’ve always said I want to aim as high as possible, to keep improving and fighting to reach the top. I hope to be among the nominees—in the top 30—this season, and why not dream of being one of the leaders, finishing as high as possible?
That’s what I work for; I try to improve day by day.”
That would be great, wouldn’t it?
“I hope so, I hope so. Why not? As I told you, I think every footballer dreams of being recognized individually for all the work put in over the season—or previous seasons.
The truth is, I’ve been lucky enough to win plenty of team trophies, but few individual ones. I hope—why not?—to dream of getting as close as possible to the trophy this year. I think it’s something wonderful, and it would be an honor for me to win the Ballon d’Or.
I’ve always said I’m a humble person who likes to stay a bit out of the limelight and not always be the center of attention. But I think this year, thanks to my achievements, my hard work, and the titles I’ve won, I’m in a position to compete for it. I hope that, alongside the trophies I’ve won, my work on the pitch counts for a lot.
I’ve tried to help the team—in Paris—win the Champions League, Ligue 1, and all the other titles. I’ve tried to do my absolute best. And with the national team, too.
Every time I step onto the pitch, I try to give everything I’ve got.” “If there are individual awards accompanying all this recognition, it is a huge honor and source of satisfaction for me.”
Ruiz: “I think this is the best moment of my career.”
You are 30 years old. Are you in the prime of your career?
“I won’t lie to you. In terms of trophies, physical condition, and my level of play, I think this is the best moment of my career. I think I came here a few years ago to really improve.
When I first arrived, I struggled. But little by little—and with the arrival of Luis Enrique—I improved a great deal. It’s thanks to him, the team, and all the players who helped me raise my game.
I can say that this is the best moment of my career. I hope it isn’t the absolute peak, though, because I’m a player who loves to grow and improve. It’s a wonderful moment in my career, and I’ll never forget it.”
Ruiz: “That little boy dreamed of making it as a professional one day.”
What would you like to say to that little boy?
“It’s incredible. That was my first year at Betis. I was eight years old.”
What was he going to achieve? What was he going to win?
“Everything there is to win in the world of football. It’s incredible.
That little boy dreamed of making it as a professional one day, but he never imagined achieving everything I have. I think it’s thanks to hard work and the people who were by my side—my family and friends—who supported me through the tough times.”
Ruiz: “Humility, hard work, and above all, my mother.”
“There were many people. They supported and encouraged me from a young age. Humility, hard work, and above all, my mother, who always stood by me.
She encouraged me and instilled in me all the values I hold today. Thanks to her, I was able to fight for my dreams. She helped me.
I am truly grateful to everyone, but especially to her. I think she was the most important person of all.”
Has the little boy in this photo achieved all his dreams?
“I’d say that on a team level, yes. I’ve won everything there is to win as part of a team.
As I mentioned earlier, I’m not a player who likes the spotlight, but I think that on an individual level, the one thing missing is winning a major award—like the Ballon d’Or—that is recognized by everyone.” “After all the work I’ve put in, I think what I’d miss is continuing to improve so I can repeat my successes and win everything I’ve won.”
Ruiz: “I think everyone has grown since he arrived in Paris.”
Is Luis Enrique the best coach of your career?
“I’d say he’s one of the most important. As I said before, I think everyone has grown since he arrived in Paris—both the club and the players. I knew him from the national team; he was the one who gave me my first call-up.
I played in a European Championship under him and learned a great deal—both personally and professionally—because he’s a coach who is very close to the players.
Everyone knows him as a coach; I believe he’s one of the best in the world. I’ve been lucky enough to have him here with us, and I’ve been able to improve and learn a lot.”
Ruiz: “We’re dreaming of a third”
Three months have passed since the final against Arsenal; how do you feel about it?
“Yes, it’s true that everything moves very fast. It feels like a year ago, because in the world of football, things happen so quickly. But it was an incredible moment—to pull off back-to-back wins, to secure a second consecutive Champions League title against a major rival.
Let’s hope for a third; that’s what Real Madrid achieved. We know how hard it is to win a title—especially the Champions League—but we’re going to fight for it.
We’ll fight to be there and try to go as far as possible, because we’re dreaming of a third one. It would be an incredible moment.”
