Ruben Ramos Jr. learned something new about himself this summer in Mexico while representing the United States at the Concacaf U-20 Championship.
After losing to Mexico two years ago in a Concacaf final, Ramos had a chip on his shoulder. And that lit a new fire inside of him.
“One thing I learned for myself is I can be kind of like a b—h,” Ramos said. “That’s one thing I learned for myself at the tournament because when I’m like that, I start to get mad and I start to do my stuff."
Individually, Ramos scored four goals and added one assist in the tournament, helping lead the US in its run. But for Ramos and LA Galaxy Academy alumni Dylan Vanney, who is on loan at Real Betis, the Americans fell in the final to the hosts 2-0 in front of more than 36,000 fans in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. It was one of the grandest stages the LA Galaxy Academy graduate who first debuted for the Galaxy in 2024 has played on to date.
“It was an incredible atmosphere. I’ve never experienced that in my career of soccer,” Ramos said. “Having that experience means a lot and in a historical stadium at Azteca it’s a very good experience for me to have in the back of my locker.”
In matchday one against Haiti, Ramos scored a penalty in a 3-0 win to get off the mark in the tournament. That preceded another penalty in a 3-0 win over El Salvador, the opening goal against Cuba in a 5-0 win to finish the group, and the opening goal in the 2-0 semifinal victory over Costa Rica. The only games he failed to score in were the quarterfinals and the final. Vanney bagged the fifth in the group finale against Cuba for his lone goal of the competition.
Despite the loss in the final, the US still qualified for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Ramos feels strongly about the U-20 team heading into that tournament, saying they “could go all the way” when they travel to Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan next year.
Having played a variety of opponents with varying styles of play, topped off with the pressure of representing the United States in Estadio Azteca against Mexico, Ramos comes home with more exposure to high-intensity play under his belt.
“Any time players can go away and play in these national team events, especially when they’re tournaments and there’s something on the line, I think it’s a great experience for them,” LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney said. “I think a wonderful learning experience for these guys.”
Now, Ramos rejoins the Galaxy with a newfound sense of belief in himself ahead of the second half of the 2026 MLS Regular Season. With four appearances so far this season, Ramos is hoping to find ways to contribute in the run-in to the playoffs.
"The confidence I’ve gained from the national team I want to bring here because I want to help the team in any way I can and I just want to bring this confidence here and score goals if I can, bring assists, do whatever I can to help the team as much as possible,” Ramos said.
