Fabián Ruiz

Fabián Ruiz Peña (Spanish pronunciation: [faˈβjan rwiθ ˈpeɲa]; born 3 April 1996), also known simply as Fabián, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Spain national team.

Early years Born in Los Palacios y Villafranca, Seville, Andalusia, Fabián joined Real Betis' youth setup in 2004, aged eight, after starting it out at EF La Unión de Los Palacios. Ruiz has credited his mother with bringing him into football. He was promoted to the reserves in July 2014, and made his senior debut on 21 September, coming on as a second half substitute in a 4–1 home loss against Marbella in the Segunda División B championship. Fabián played his first match as a professional on 16 December, replacing Xavi Torres in the 51st minute of a 1–0 Segunda División away win against Lugo. Fabián made his debut in the main category of Spanish football on 23 August 2015, coming on as a substitute for Alfred N'Diaye in a 1–1 home draw against Villarreal.

Loan to Elche On 23 December of the following year he renewed his contract until 2019, and was immediately loaned to Elche in the second level.

Breakthrough Upon returning, Fabián became a regular starter under new manager Quique Setién, scoring his first goal in the top tier on 25 September 2017 in a 4–0 home routing of Levante. The following 31 January, he renewed his contract until 2023, setting his buyout clause at €30 million. On 30 April 2018, Fabián scored the winning goal for Betis as they secured UEFA Europa League qualification for the 2018–19 season following a 2–1 home win over Málaga.

Napoli On 5 July 2018, Fabián joined Napoli on a five-year contract until 2023 with Napoli reportedly paying Fabián's €30 million buyout clause. He made his debut on 16 September in a Champions League group game away to Red Star Belgrade, playing the full 90 minutes of a goalless draw. Ten days later he played his first Serie A match and first at the Stadio San Paolo, a 3–0 win over Parma.

On 30 August 2022, Fabián signed for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a five-year contract. He made his debut as a substitute in a 1–0 victory over Brest at the Parc des Princes on 10 September 2022. On 1 February 2023, he scored his first PSG goal in a 3–1 win over Montpellier. At the end of the season, Fabián won the Ligue 1 title with PSG, his first top-flight league title. On 7 May 2025, Fabián scored his first UEFA Champions League goal with a volley from outside the box in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal, helping Paris Saint-Germain reach the Champions League final to play against Inter Milan. He was a key component in the PSG side that went on to win the Champions League as part of a continental treble, finishing 24th in the 2025 Ballon d'Or rankings. He also played a key role in his club's back-to-back Champions League triumph during the 2025–26 season.

After representing Spain at under-19 and under-21 levels, Fabián was called up to the Spain senior team by manager Luis Enrique on 15 March 2019, for two UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches against Norway and Malta. He debuted on 7 June 2019 in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier against the Faroe Islands, coming on as a substitute for Isco in the 74th minute. Four days later, he made his full debut, starting alongside Sergio Busquets and Dani Parejo in midfield against Sweden, assisting Mikel Oyarzabal's goal in the 87th minute of the 3–0 win. In July 2019, Fabián returned to the Spain U21 squad for the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.