LOS ANGELES (September 3, 2026) – The LA Galaxy announced today that the club has acquired midfielder Pablo Ruiz from Real Salt Lake for $400,000 in 2027 General Allocation Money (GAM). The 27-year-old is guaranteed through December 31, 2026, with club options for 2027 and 2028. The trade was finalized prior to yesterday’s conclusion of the summer transfer window.
“Pablo is an experienced and intelligent midfielder who will greatly add to the quality and mentality of the group,” said Will Kuntz, General Manager, LA Galaxy. “We are proud to welcome Pablo and his family to the LA Galaxy.”
Ruiz joins the Galaxy following eight and a half seasons with Western Conference side Real Salt Lake, where he registered nine goals and 19 assists in 162 appearances (124 starts) across all competitions. The Argentinian broke out in 2023 with four goals and nine assists across 28 matches played, including a career-high three-assist game in a 4-0 win over Orlando City. However, his season ended abruptly due to a knee injury in Leagues Cup play. Three matches into his return to the pitch in 2024, Ruiz suffered another knee injury, prematurely ending his campaign once again. The midfielder overcame his adversity with a 2025 return and has recorded four goal contributions in 38 appearances since. Notably, two of those goals came as recently as last month in Leagues Cup play, with a goal apiece against Tigres UANL on August 4, and Atalante on August 8.
Prior to his start of his professional career in Salt Lake, Ruiz developed in the academies of C.A.I. and San Lorenzo in Argentina. He then moved to Chile, where he played for San Luis in the Chilean Primera División and recorded an assist in 10 first-team league appearances. After that, Ruiz traveled stateside to sign with Real Salt Lake in February 2018 and played 14 matches before going out on on a six-month loan to FC Pinzgau in Austria. He returned to Real Salt Lake in 2020 and scored his first MLS goal against Seattle that September, followed by his first career MLS assist against Portland a month later in October. Internationally, the left-footed midfielder has represented Argentina at the U-17 level, where he scored two goals in 10 appearances across both the 2015 South American U-17 Championship and the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Transaction: LA Galaxy acquire midfielder Pablo Ruiz from Real Salt Lake for $400,000 in 2027 GAM through December 31, 2026, with club options for 2027 and 2028 on September 3, 2026.
Name: Pablo Ruiz
Pronunciation: roo-ease
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’6
Weight: 143
Born: December 20, 1998
Age: 27
Birthplace: Comodoro de Rivadavia, Argentina
Previous Club: Real Salt Lake
Roster Designation: TAM, Senior