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Riqui Puig
Spanish footballer (born 1999) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ricard "Riqui" Puig Martí (Catalan pronunciation: [riˈkaɾt ˈriki ˈputʃ]; born 13 August 1999) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.
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Club career
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Barcelona
Born in Matadepera, Barcelona, Catalonia, Puig joined Barcelona's La Masia in 2013, from UFB Jàbac Terrassa.[4] After progressing through the youth setup, he made his senior debut with the reserves on 24 February 2018, coming on as a second-half substitute for Marcus McGuane in a 1–1 home draw against Gimnàstic Tarragona in the Segunda División championship.[5]
On 11 June 2018, Puig renewed his contract with Barça until 2021, and was promoted to the B-team in the Segunda División B.[6] He made his first team debut on 5 December, replacing fellow youth graduate Oriol Busquets in the 55th minute of a 4–1 home routing of Cultural Leonesa, in the season's Copa del Rey; he also assisted Denis Suárez, who scored Barcelona's fourth goal.[7]
Puig made his La Liga debut on 13 April 2019, starting and playing 67 minutes in a 0–0 draw against Huesca.[8] He scored his first goal for Barça B on 14 September, the second in a 2–2 home draw against AE Prat.[9]
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On 6 October 2020, Puig was promoted to the first team, being handed the number 12 jersey which was previously worn by Rafinha.[10]
On 13 January 2021, Puig scored the winning penalty in the penalty shootout (Barcelona won 3–2) after being held at 1–1 at the end of extra time by Real Sociedad in the Supercopa de España semi-final.[11] On 24 January 2021, Puig scored his first goal for the first team in a 2–0 away win in La Liga against Elche, when he headed in Barcelona's second goal from a Frenkie de Jong assist.[12]
LA Galaxy
On 4 August 2022, Puig joined Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy on a free transfer and signed a 3.5-year contract with Targeted Allocation Money.[13][14] He made his debut on 19 August as a substitute against Seattle Sounders FC, contributing to a 3–3 draw.[14] Puig scored his first MLS goal—a strike from outside the box in the 89th minute—in a 2–2 draw with Toronto FC on 31 August.[15] He was positioned as a playmaker and averaged more than 75 passes per 90 minutes with a high rate of completion as the Galaxy lost only once in their final ten regular season matches.[16] The team qualified for the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs, where they were eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals.[17]
On 31 May 2024, Puig signed a new contract with the Galaxy, keeping him at the club until 2027.[18] Later that year, on 30 November, he suffered an ACL rupture during the Western Conference final against Seattle Sounders, yet he provided an assist which led to a 1–0 victory, qualifying his club to the MLS Cup final.[19] The Galaxy went on to win MLS Cup, beating the New York Red Bulls 2–1.
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Style of play
A product of La Masia, he is known to be a player capable of directing the motion of the game through his great attacking prowess. He has drawn comparisons to Andrés Iniesta in the past, however he has also struggled for playing time.[20]
Personal life
Riqui Puig's father, Carlos, was also a footballer. A left-back, he spent his entire career representing Terrassa.[4] In April 2023, Puig participated in a $20 million investment fund for the upcoming free-to-play football video game Goals.[21]
Career statistics
- Includes Copa del Rey and U.S. Open Cup
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- Appearances in Supercopa de España
- One appearance in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
- Appearances in MLS Cup playoffs
- Appearances in Leagues Cup
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Honours
Barcelona Youth
Barcelona
LA Galaxy
Individual
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
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