Guatemala striker Rubio Rubin has had the privilege of learning from some of the most renowned figures in football history. From Diego Maradona to Jürgen Klinsmann, Luis Fernando Tena, and Erik ten Hag, his career has been shaped by iconic coaches. Yet, one lesson from a moment with Maradona during his time at Dorados de Sinaloa in Mexico has stuck with him more than any other.
“I was doing a finishing drill and missed my final shot,” Rubin recalled in an interview with FIFA. “I started walking away, thinking training was over, but Maradona stopped me. He looked at me and said, ‘Hey, where are you going?’ I told him I was done, and he said, ‘You don’t end on a miss, always end on a goal.’ So, I went back, finished my next one, and he said, ‘Okay, now you can go.'”
The simplicity of Maradona’s words had a profound impact. Rubin has carried that lesson with him throughout his career, ensuring that no matter the situation, he always finishes on a positive note. “If I ever do a finishing drill or even train alone, I always end on a goal,” he said.
Maradona’s love for the game, despite his declining physical abilities, also left a lasting impression. “He always had a positive outlook on soccer and life,” Rubin said. “Just being able to share the field with him was incredible. Even though he couldn’t move much anymore, there were times when he’d be out on the pitch by himself, juggling the ball like it was nothing. That’s how much he loved the game. The ball never stopped bouncing on his feet.”
Rubin’s football journey began in the United States, where he played for the Stars and Stripes at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand (2015) and earned senior appearances under Klinsmann. But in 2022, with his career at a crossroads and a growing desire to reconnect with his roots, Rubin made the pivotal decision to switch allegiances to Guatemala, his mother’s homeland.
The move has been transformative for both Rubin and Los Chapines. Now playing for Charleston Battery in the USL Championship, Rubin has become the face of a resurgent Guatemalan side that made an impressive run to the semi-finals of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup—their best finish since 1996.
With Guatemala now just two home games away from potentially qualifying for their first-ever FIFA World Cup, the stakes are higher than ever. Rubin and his teammates have spoken frequently about what it would mean to achieve that historic feat.
“My teammates and I talk about it all the time,” Rubin shared. “We play back-to-back home games at the end of qualifying in November, and some of the guys said we wouldn’t be able to leave the stadium until the next day if we made it. It would be that crazy. They’d probably take us somewhere to celebrate. These are the things you dream about.”
As Guatemala’s World Cup aspirations grow, Rubin’s mindset, shaped by Maradona’s timeless advice, may just help propel them to the global stage.