Fabian Ruiz, a Spain starter for the past two years, lost his place after the 0-0 draw with Cape Verde but the PSG midfielder appears unfazed when La Roja face Belgium in the World Cup quarter-finals on Friday.
He only started the first match against Cape Verde. Since then he has played 20 minutes against Saudi Arabia in a 4-0 win and 30 minutes against Uruguay in a 1-0 win, before appearing in the 89th minute against Austria and the 85th minute against Portugal.
Ruiz was supposed to, along with Rodri and Pedri, repeat the trio that won Euro 2024 in Germany. After the stalemate, Luis de la Fuente changed the team composition, placing Dani Olmo behind the striker and dropping Pedri deeper.
De la Fuente spoke about the close and long-standing trust he has in Ruiz and stressed that it matters to him whether he takes the field or not. He also highlighted the crucial role of substitutes at the Euros and the confidence provided by Ruiz, Mikel Merino and Martin Subimendi.
“Sometimes we joke with the boss and a few teammates that they should pick me even if I’m injured,” he told EFE, referring to his 47-match unbeaten run.
“It doesn’t matter who plays, what matters is that we support each other,” he told the Guardian. He missed out on Qatar under Luis Enrique and then suffered a knee injury that brought uncertainty and daily pain before recovery restored calm.
He showed that calmness at camp in Chattanooga, even trying to score in goal for a few minutes during practice. He also knows that a hero can come off the bench, as Merino proved against Portugal when he came on alongside Ruiz in the 85th minute.