Inter Miami game in Honduras against Olimpia on Saturday a dream come true for David Ruiz
Never in his wildest dreams, when David Ruiz was a kid growing up in Little Havana playing youth soccer at Charles Hadley Park in Allapattah, did he imagine he would wind up as Lionel Messi’s teammate, playing a match at Estadio Olimpico in Honduras, birthplace of his parents and his entire extended family.
On his 21st birthday, no less.
But that is exactly where Ruiz will be Saturday night for an Inter Miami preseason match against Honduran club Olimpia. It is the third stop on the team’s Americas Tour, following victories against Universitario in Peru and San Miguelito in Panama.
Ruiz, who plays for the Honduran national team, became a huge star there once Messi joined Inter Miami. His image is as large as Messi’s on billboards and posters advertising the 8 p.m. match.
“It means a lot to me, this game, I’m super excited, my family is going,” Ruiz said Friday after training. “Being able to play over there on the day of my birthday is such a coincidence. It’s so exciting. I’m grateful for my team having this opportunity to play in Honduras. Everyone there is excited to see Messi play.”
Ruiz got 12 tickets for the game. His mother, Alba, who owns and runs a Honduran restaurant on Southwest 8th Street, is traveling to the game along with David’s four brothers. His father, cousins, aunts and uncles, all of whom live in Honduras, are also attending the match.
Inter Miami signed Ruiz to a first-team contract in April 2023 after he rose through the ranks from the club’s youth academy to the second team. It was around the same time that Ruiz got his first call-ups for the Honduran U-20 team. Messi signed with Inter Miami a few months later, and Ruiz went from being just another Honduran youth prospect to teammate of the Argentine icon.
“It’s unreal,” Ruiz said of how much he is recognized in Honduras. “Early in my career, I was just with the Under 20s, getting to be known, second-team Inter Miami player, and now, being a big star is just an honor for me. Being recognized is a big deal because it’s my parents’ country, so it’s super amazing to be acknowledged by everybody over there.”
Ruiz has been fielding questions from his teammates about what to expect in San Pedro Sula. As for the game, Ruiz knows Olimpia is one of the strongest teams in Honduras and its players will be fired up to play Messi and the other Miami star players such as Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets.
“Having Messi on the team takes a lot of responsibility,” Ruiz said. “We know that everybody that plays on his team, we all want to win. It changes our mentality.”
Jordi Alba, the fourth Miami superstar, is questionable for the match after sustaining an undisclosed injury during the game last weekend in Panama. He was not on the field for either open-media training session this week and worked out on his own in the gym, per a team spokesperson.
There is a lot of competition for playing time among the Inter Miami midfielders, who include Busquets, Benja Cremaschi, Yannick Bright, Julian Gressel, Fede Redondo, Robert Taylor, Santi Morales and newly signed Talasco Segovia of Venezuela and Tadeo Allende of Argentina.
Ruiz, who had the assist on Fafa Picault’s goal in Panama last weekend, said the key is to be versatile and adapt to whatever spot coaches ask him to play.
Allende scored against San Miguelito and continues to get acclimated to the club. Argentine defender Gonzalo Lujan got his visa papers Thursday, participated in training Friday and said he will travel to Honduras and hopes to get some minutes against Olimpia. Lujan is familiar with Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano because he played for him on Argentina’s U20 and U23 teams.
Mascherano reached out to Lujan just before the new year and expressed a desire to add him to the back line, which needed some strengthening. He has played with Redondo, Allende and Rocco Rios Novo on Argentina youth national team camps.
“I’m very happy to be here after training on my own for the past month and a half,” said Lujan, who came from San Lorenzo. “It’s a dream to be here. My teammates gave me a great welcome. Messi and the others gave me a warm welcome. What struck me is how down-to-earth they are. I can’t wait to get started.”
Segovia also received his visa and was at training on Friday.
Ruiz is eager for his new teammates to get integrated. He also hopes his success will inspire other urban Miami youngsters to follow his path. He attended Riverside Elementary School, Mater Academy Middle and SLAM High School. He played club for seven years for Miami United Stars.
He said the highlight of his career so far was Inter Miami winning the Leagues Cup trophy in the summer of 2023.
Asked in Saturday’s game could be even more special, Ruiz smiled and replied: “Yes, and a goal would be nice.”
How to Watch: Inter Miami vs. Olimpia kicks off Saturday at 8 p.m. The game will be streamed at intermiamicf.com
This story was originally published February 7, 2025 at 3:48 PM.