Rubio Rubin shifts national team affiliation from USMNT to Guatemala | OneFootball

Real Salt Lake figure Rubio Rubin was approved by FIFA for the one time switch to shift his national team affiliation from the United States to Guatemala.

“FEDEFUT received a positive response from FIFA regarding the consultation related to the change of representative team of the player Rubio Rubin, authorizing him to represent the Guatemalan National Team with immediate effect,” said the Guatemalan federation in a statement.

After an extensive career with the US men’s national youth teams, the forward is turning to Guatemala. He was named the U.S. Soccer Federation's youth male athlete of the year in 2012, before featuring for the Under-20 and Under-23 sides. In 2015, Rubin joined the Under-20 side for the World Cup, inspiring team success by scoring in several facets of the competition.

He made his senior national team debut in 2014, playing in a friendly against the Czech Republic. He has since made seven international appearances, all in exhibitions and none since 2018.

But being born in Beaverton, Oregon to a Guatemalan mother and Mexican father, Rubin was never tied down to the US men’s national team.

At a club level, the player kicked off his career with Utrecht in 2014. He stayed with the Eredivisie side for three seasons before seeing time with Denmark's Silkeborg (2017), Norway's Stabaek (2017), and Liga MX teams Tijuana (2018-20) and Dorados (2019-20).

In 2021, Rubin finally signed for Major League Soccer side Real Salt Lake, where he’s managed eight goals and five assists in 40 overall appearances.