Carlos Ruiz (Guatemalan footballer)

Carlos Ruiz

Ruiz playing for FC Dallas in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Carlos Humberto Ruíz Gutiérrez
Date of birth	(1979-09-15) 15 September 1979 (age 44)[1]
Place of birth	Guatemala City, Guatemala
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1991–1995	Municipal
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1995–2002	Municipal	143	(69)
2001	→ PAS Giannina (loan)	4	(0)
2002–2004	LA Galaxy	72	(50)
2005–2007	FC Dallas	68	(31)
2008	LA Galaxy	10	(1)
2008	Toronto FC	5	(0)
2009	Olimpia	18	(10)
2009–2010	Puebla	33	(9)
2010–2011	Aris	16	(4)
2011	Philadelphia Union	14	(6)
2011–2012	Veracruz	23	(10)
2013	D.C. United	13	(0)
2014–2016	Municipal	86	(72)
2016	FC Dallas	3	(1)
Total		506	(234)
International career
1998–2016	Guatemala	133	(68)
2000	Guatemala (futsal)	4	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Carlos Humberto Ruiz Gutiérrez (born 15 September 1979), initially nicknamed El Pescadito or "The Little Fish" but later became El Pescado or "The Fish" (even by Spanish-speakers), is a Guatemalan former professional footballer who played as a striker. A product of CSD Municipal's youth academy, Ruiz played for five MLS clubs (Los Angeles Galaxy, FC Dallas, Toronto FC, Philadelphia Union, and D.C. United), scoring 88 goals in 182 MLS regular-season matches and 16 goals in the post-season,^[3] which is the second most post-season goals in MLS history. In 2002, he was named the MLS's Most Valuable Player of the season.

He was a member of the Guatemalan national team from 1998 to 2016. He is regarded to be the greatest Guatemalan footballer of all time. He served as captain, is the player with the most caps and is the all-time top scorer of the Guatemala national team. He played in five World Cup qualification phases and in September 2016, he became the all-time top scorer in World Cup qualification with 39 goals, although his country never qualified for the tournament.

In 2019, Ruiz worked for a television channel in Miami.^[4]