Fabian Ruiz has pulled off one of the most improbable feats in international soccer, playing an astounding 52 games for Spain without ever tasting defeat. This isn’t just a good run, it’s a historical one, making the 30-year-old Spain and PSG midfielder one of the most successful international players in the history of the game.
The Streak That Just Won’t Quit
Think about that for a second: 52 games for your national team, and not a single loss. Ruiz has been on the field for 37 wins and 15 draws, with that big fat zero in the loss column. It’s unreal! Even Spain’s penalty defeat to Portugal in the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League final officially counts as a draw on the books, since the match itself was a 2-2 tie after extra-time. That decision by the record keepers just helps highlight how tough it is to actually get a loss assigned to a player’s record. Before Ruiz, Jens Stryger Larsen held the best unbeaten record to start an international career at 36 games, before he finally took a 1-0 loss to Finland back in Euro 2020. Ruiz has absolutely blown that out of the water.
Spain’s Dominance Is No Accident
It absolutely helps that Ruiz is playing for a Spanish squad that’s on a tear of its own. Spain hasn’t suffered defeat in 40 straight competitive matches, a crazy run dating all the way back to a 2-0 loss against Scotland during Euro 2024 qualifying. That was only Luis de la Fuente’s second game in charge! Since that setback, Spain has gone on to lift the Euro 2024 title, dominated their World Cup qualifying group without a single loss, and then won seven of eight matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to grab the trophy.
You wanna know how important Ruiz is to this team? Spain has taken some Ls when he wasn’t on the pitch. We’re talking losses to Ukraine, Sweden, France, Switzerland, and even Japan in the 2022 World Cup. And guess what? Even when he was in the squad but an unused sub against Scotland in 2023 or Colombia earlier this year, Spain still took the loss. It just shows you: when Fabian Ruiz is out there, this team does not lose.
This unbroken streak has brought him immense success. He’s got a World Cup title, a European championship, and other trophies to his name from international duty. Plus, he’s stacked up two Champions League titles with PSG on the club side. As Spain looks to defend their global title in this next four-year cycle, Ruiz’s personal unbeaten run is just one more incredible storyline. Every time he steps onto the pitch for Spain, the pressure is on to keep this insane streak alive, and you know he’s gonna leave it all out there.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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