Raul Ruidiaz is a Peruvian professional soccer player who plays as a striker for Seattle Sounders FC, and in the Peru national team, he is in a forward position. He started playing soccer at the very young age of 8; he has gradually climbed the stairs of success and is still showcasing his exceptional skills for his team on the playground.
In 2022, Raul was listed in the CONCACAF Champions League Best XI: 2022, as he scored two goals in the winning match against UNAM.
“Started from the bottom now we’re here.” It is a line from a song by superhit Hip Hop artist Drake, which perfectly fits the life of Raul Ruidiaz.
To explain, Raul started playing for his local hometown club in Peru to become one of the highest-paid players in the MLS eventually.
He is the two-time Liga MX Apertura top goal scorer and has one MLS championship cup in his name. Raul is a two-time Peruvian champion, a one-time Chilean Champion cup winner, and has one CONCACAF Champions League in his name.
Raul plays a significant part in the Seattle Sounders FC and has been defending the MLS title.
Therefore, expectations are high for the Peruvian international to perform even better.
We are here to inform you about Raul’s beginnings of his MLS days with the Seattle Sounders FC.
So buckle up as we go in on a wild ride of Peruvian’s life. Without further ado, let’s get started on this journey with some quick facts.
Raul Ruidiaz | Quick Facts
| Full Name | Raul Mario Ruidiaz Misitich |
| Birth Date | 25 July 1990 |
| Birth Place | Villa Maria del Triunfo, Peru |
| Nick Name | Not available |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | Peruvian |
| Ethnicity | Not Available |
| Education | Not Available |
| Horoscope | Leo |
| Father’s Name | Raul Ruidiaz Chuica |
| Mother’s Name | Tatiana Miletich |
| Siblings | No |
| Age | 33 Years Old |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in / 1.69 m / 169 cm |
| Weight | 65 kg / 143 lb |
| Shoe Size | Not Available |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Body Measurement | Not available |
| Build | Lean |
| Married | Yes |
| Girlfriend | None |
| Wife | Pia Ruidiaz |
| Position | Forward |
| Profession | Soccer Player |
| Net Worth | $5 Million |
| Clubs | Seattle Sounders FC (Current), Morelia, Universitario de Deportes, Cortiba (Former) |
| Jersey Number | 9 |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
| Merch | Autographed Items |
| Last Update | March, 2024 |
Raul Ruidiaz | Early Life
Raul Mario Ruidiaz Misitich was born to his parents, Raul Ruidiaz Chuica and Tatiana Miletich, on 25 July 1990 in Villa Maria del Triunfo, Peru.
Like most other South American kids, Raul dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player at a very young age.
Therefore, to realize his dreams, Ruidiaz joined the youth academy of Universitario de Deportes at the tender age of 8.
After that, the Lima native rose through the ranks of Deportes until he got promoted to the first team in January 2008.
Soon after, the Sounders striker was loaned to the club’s B team America Cochahuayco with whom he showed his flashes of brilliance.
Consequently, the following season, Raul got the opportunity to play for the first Universitario de Deportes.
At this club, the young player would make a name for himself in soccer.
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Raul Ruidiaz | Career & Stats
Ruidiaz made his professional debut for Deportes against Total Chalaco on 4 October 2009 at 19.
After that, the Lima native mesmerized everybody, scoring three goals in nine games.
Additionally, Raul won his first national title in his first professional season, making his debut even better.
Everyone expected a young Ruidiaz to take his game to the next level as he had the ability and determination to become one of the greats.
Staying true to everyone’s expectations, Ruidiaz scored seven goals and provided four assists in his 37 appearances for the club in his second season.
Consequently, many top clubs in Chile and South America wanted the services of the young prodigy.
However, he decided to stay with his boyhood club for another year before moving to one of the biggest clubs in Chile, Universidad de Chile.
In January 2012, the Peruvian international signed for Universidad de Chile to take his game to the next level.
On the contrary, his time with the club turned out to be a nightmare as he fell out of favor with the manager due to a lack of playing time.
Consequently, Raul decided to sign for Cortiba until the end of the 2012 season as he wanted more playing time.
But he did not score any club goals. He impressed many scouts with his technical ability and winning mentality.
Scoring Consistently
Ruidiaz stayed in his home country for another four years before taking his talents elsewhere, which happened to be in Mexico.
On 1 July 2016, Mexican club Morelia signed the forward on a season-long loan deal for a reported $111,832 (€105,000).
The Peruvian international scored on his home debut in a 2-2 draw against Queretaro, which indicated the sign of things to come in the future. That is precisely what happened as Raul finished the season as the top scorer in Liga MX with 11 goals.
The talented soccer player finished the season with 20 goals and a solitary assist in his 34 appearances in all competitions.
As a result of his outstanding first season with the club, clubs in the MLS circle around the Morelia striker, but Morelia convinced Raul to stay with them and help them as they were among the primary candidates relegated.
The Lima native did exactly what was expected of him as he helped his side to avoid relegation through his goals.
Ruidiaz scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory against Monterrey that helped Morelia avoid relegation.
He also finished as the top scorer in Liga MX for the second consecutive season. Likewise, Ruidiaz ended with 21 goals and three assists in 39 appearances for the club.
Following his heroic performances and loyalty, Morelia decided to grant Raul’s wishes as they put him on the auction block.
Consequently, many top clubs showed interest in the Peruvian international as he had established himself as a lethal goal scorer.
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC managed to sign Ruidiaz for $7.5 million in 2018.
Soon after signing the contract with the Sounders, he became one of the league’s highest-paid players.
Raul’s years of hard work and dedication had finally paid off as he earned in the millions.
To nobody’s surprise, Ruidiaz immediately impacted his new club as he became the fastest player in Seattle Sounder’s history to reach 10 goals in just 14 games.
Also, Raul became the club’s first player to score in eight consecutive games.
Ruidiaz helped his team finish second in the Western Conference standings. But sadly, they lost to the Portland Timbers in the Western Conference semifinals.
Nevertheless, he showed precisely why the Sounders paid such a huge fee for him, as he finished the season with 13 goals and one assist in just 16 appearances.
The following season was even better for the Peruvian striker as he managed to score 15 goals and provide five assists in 26 appearances.
He also helped the Seattle-based franchise reach its second consecutive playoffs by finishing second once more.
Raul helped his team win the MLS Cup, winning the final 3-1 against Toronto FC.
Furthermore, Ruidiaz scored his side’s third and final goal in the 90th minute, putting the icing on the cake of his terrific season.
At the time of writing, only two games have been played in the MLS due to the world pandemic of Coron Virus (COVID-19).
Due to the virus, all the top sporting leagues worldwide have been postponed, including the MLS.
However, we fully believe in Ruidiaz and the Sounders to defend their title whenever the league resumes.
He contributed two goals in a 3-0 win in the second leg against UNAM in the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League final, in which his team had their first title in the competition by winning 5-2 on aggregate.
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International Career
Raul made his international debut for Peru on 7 June 2011 against Japan in the Kirin Cup.
Subsequently, the Lima-born striker was included in the Copa America squad of Peru that finished third.
After that, the striker played in the Copa America Centenario in 2016.
His most memorable moment of the Copa game was against Brazil, as he scored a controversial winner in a 1-0 victory that helped Peru secure the top spot in Group B.
After that, Raul made his first World Cup appearance at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Subsequently, Ruididaz appeared in two matches as a substitute but did not score any goals.
Raul has played in 53 matches for his national team scoring four goals and assisting four times.
Although the tally may seem bleak for an outstanding goal-scorer, he has not been able to cement a starting spot in the Peruvian team.
Nonetheless, judging by his excellent club form for Seattle Sounders, we have complete confidence in Raul to earn a starting spot in Peru’s national team.
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Raul Ruidiaz | Height & Body Measurements
Most soccer players hit their peak in their 20s, and he is no different, as he scored 11 goals in his 22 appearances for the Sounders.
The Seattle striker stands at 1.69 meters, which is relatively small for a forward as they need to battle with strong and tall defenders.
Nevertheless, Ruidiaz has turned his disadvantage into an advantage as his low center of gravity helps him change directions and smoothly past defenders.
Additionally, his pace and trickery help the Peruvian international score goals from anywhere on the field.
As a result, Raul is one of the most feared strikers playing in the MLS.
Raul Ruidiaz | Relationships, Wife & Children
Raul is in a loving relationship with his wife, Pia Ruidiaz. The couple met each other back in their homeland of Peru and have been together ever since.
After dating for a while, the lovers decided to make their relationship stronger by tieing the knot.
Since then, the two lovebirds have been blessed with a son, Raul Alessandro and Tatiana, named after Ruidiaz’s mother.
Furthermore, the 33 year-old regularly posts pictures with his two kids on various social media accounts.
The family seems extremely happy with their life, as they often hang out whenever Ruidiaz is not on the soccer pitch.
Raul Ruidiaz Named To MLS Team Of The Week
Major League Soccer named Sounders FC forward Raúl Ruidíaz to the Week 1 MLS Team of the Week.
All for his two-goal performance in Seattle’s 4-0 win over Minnesota United FC at Lumen Field.
Coming off a campaign where he was named to the MLS Best XI, Ruidíaz picked up right where he left off as he bagged a brace in Sounders FC’s 2021 home opener.
Both goals were textbook examples of center-forward play, with Ruidíaz drifting away from defenders in the box and calmly dispatching his goals.
Homegrown midfielder Josh Atencio, 19, was named the Team of the Week bench after putting in a promising two-way shift against Minnesota in his first MLS start.
Raul Ruidiaz | Net Worth & Salary
In 2021, Ruidiaz had a net worth of $5 million, accrued mainly through his soccer activities.
The Peruvian international signed for the Seattle Sounders in a $7.5 million deal from his previous club Morelia in 2018.
According to the contract, Raul earned $1.8 million per year or $37,000 per week, which made him one of the top 10 highest-paid players in the MLS.
In 2024, he earns a base salary of $2,472,000 from Seattle Sounders FC and a guaranteed salary of $3,201,120.
The TransferMarkt website values Ruidiaz at $4.26 million (€4 million), the highest he was ever valued at $6.92 million.
As suggested by his outstanding goal-scoring record in the MLS, the Peruvian striker is in his peak form.
Furthermore, he also makes extra money from goals and appearances-related bonuses, which adds to his eye-watering yearly salary.
Social Media Presence
Raul is available on social media platforms where he posts about his life. You can follow him in the links down below.
View this post on Instagram
Instagram: 970k followers
Twitter: 319.6k followers
Facebook: 477k followers
Popularity Graph
Raul Ridiaz is a professional soccer player who plays for Seattle Sounders FC.
His search rate increased as people were interested in his net worth, salary, and transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many goals does Raul Ruidiaz have?
Raul Ruidiaz has a total of 207 goals in his name to date, while his appearances were 430.
He had 357 appearances for the league matches, scoring 179 goals.
Did Raul Ruidiaz have any affairs?
No, Raul never had an affair. He is happily married and has two kids with his lovely wife. He updates about his quality time with his family on social media platforms.
To date there is no controversial news regarding his relationships has been released.
Has Raul Ruidiaz ever played in the FIFA World Cup?
He was named in Peru’s provisional 24-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia in May 2018.
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