Rubio Rubin approved for switch to Guatemala from US

May 18, 2022 GMT
FILE - Real Salt Lake's Rubio Rubin reaches with his foot for a pass in front of Vancouver Whitecaps' Ranko Veselinovic, back left, during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Aug. 29, 2021. Rubin has been approved by FIFA to switch his national team affiliation to Guatemala from the United States. Guatemala's governing body made the announcement Tuesday, May 17, 2022, (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
FILE - Real Salt Lake's Rubio Rubin reaches with his foot for a pass in front of Vancouver Whitecaps' Ranko Veselinovic, back left, during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Aug. 29, 2021. Rubin has been approved by FIFA to switch his national team affiliation to Guatemala from the United States. Guatemala's governing body made the announcement Tuesday, May 17, 2022, (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Real Salt Lake forward Rubio Rubin has been approved by FIFA to switch his national team affiliation to Guatemala from the United States.

Guatemala’s governing body made the announcement Tuesday.

Rubin, a 26-year-old from Beaverton, Oregon, was selected the U.S. Soccer Federation’s youth male athlete of the year in 2012 and played for American youth national teams.

He made his senior national team debut in 2014 and has made seven international appearances, all in exhibitions and none since 2018.

Rubin has played for Utrecht (2014-17), Denmark’s Silkeborg (2017), Norway’s Stabaek (2017), Tijuana (2018-20), Dorados (2019-20) and the San Diego Loyal (2002) before joining Salt Lake last year. He has no goals in six matches this season.

His mother is from Guatemala and his father is from Mexico.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports