Rubén Duarte

For the Mexican football manager and former footballer, see Rubén Duarte (Mexican footballer).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Duarte and the second or maternal family name is Sánchez.

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.

Rubén Duarte

Personal information
Full name	Rubén Duarte Sánchez[1]
Date of birth	(1995-10-18) 18 October 1995 (age 29)[1]
Place of birth	Almería, Spain
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	UNAM
Youth career
	Los Molinos
2008–2009	Poli Ejido
2009–2012	Espanyol
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2012–2015	Espanyol B	72	(1)
2015–2017	Espanyol	36	(0)
2017–2024	Alavés	218	(3)
2024–	UNAM	27	(0)
International career
2011	Spain U16	4	(1)
2012	Spain U17	2	(1)
2013	Spain U18	2	(0)
2013–2014	Spain U19	10	(0)
2015–2016	Spain U21	9	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:41, 15 April 2025 (UTC)

He made his La Liga debut with Espanyol, and spent most of his career with Alavés, totalling 231 appearances in seven seasons.^[2]

Club career

Espanyol

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]

Alavés

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]

UNAM

Hours after leaving Alavés, Duarte moved abroad for the first time in his career, being announced at Liga MX side Club Universidad Nacional.^[14]

International career

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]

Career statistics

As of match played 26 May 2024^[16][17]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

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