| Rubén Duarte | |
| Fullname: | Rubén Duarte Sánchez[1] |
| Birth Date: | 18 October 1995 |
| Birth Place: | Almería, Spain |
| Height: | 1.80 m |
| Position: | Defender |
| Currentclub: | UNAM |
| Youthyears2: | 2008–2009 |
| Youthyears3: | 2009–2012 |
| Youthclubs3: | Espanyol |
| Years1: | 2012–2015 |
| Caps1: | 72 |
| Goals1: | 1 |
| Years2: | 2015–2017 |
| Caps2: | 36 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2017–2024 |
| Caps3: | 218 |
| Goals3: | 3 |
| Years4: | 2024– |
| Caps4: | 0 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2011 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 1 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2012 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 1 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2013 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears4: | 2013–2014 |
| Nationalcaps4: | 10 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 0 |
| Nationalyears5: | 2015–2016 |
| Nationalcaps5: | 9 |
| Nationalgoals5: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 3 June 2024 |
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.
He made his La Liga debut with Espanyol, and spent most of his career with Alavés, totalling 231 appearances in seven seasons.[2]
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]
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]
Hours after leaving Alavés, Duarte moved abroad for the first time in his career, being announced at Liga MX side Club Universidad Nacional.[14]
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]
| 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 | |||