Most footballers keep their injuries quiet. Aitor Ruibal played for roughly three years with a torn meniscus in his right knee. He captained Real Betis to Champions League qualification on it, and only after that was secured did he have it operated on. That tells you more about the 30 year old from Sallent than any highlight reel could.
He isn't a star, and he has never pretended to be one. His value is harder to replace than that. He's a converted forward who will play wherever he's asked, and he wears the armband because the dressing room trusts him.
Ruibal at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Aitor Ruibal Garcia |
| Born | 22 March 1996, Sallent, Barcelona province, Catalonia |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Height and weight | Listed at 1.76 m to 1.80 m depending on the source, around 74 kg |
| Preferred foot | Right |
| Club and shirt | Real Betis, number 24 |
| Position | Right-back, also right winger and forward |
| Role | Club captain |
| Contract | Until 30 June 2028 |
| Reported market value | Around 3 million to 4 million euros |
| EA FC 26 rating | 77 overall, right-back |
| Estimated net worth | 10 million to 12 million dollars (Icon Polls estimate) |
The surgery he kept putting off
In May 2026, Ruibal had arthroscopic surgery in Barcelona on the external meniscus of his right knee. Betis said the operation had been planned during the season and was brought forward once Champions League qualification was confirmed with two games left. He missed those last two fixtures.
Supporters connected with how he explained it. In a personal letter on social media, he said he had been living with the same tear for about three years and managing it without surgery. Despite the physical and mental strain, he called the season an incredible one. He played more than 2,700 minutes across 42 official appearances in it, which is remarkable given the circumstances.
The recovery has not gone as quickly as planned. The aim was to have him ready for preseason in early July 2026. He was left out of the friendlies, and Manuel Pellegrini confirmed he would miss the La Liga opener against Real Sociedad on 21 August after a long spell away from group training. No firm return date had been announced at that point, so Betis's official channels are the place to check for the latest update.
His recent fitness record shows why the club is being careful:
- May 2026: right knee arthroscopy, which ended his season early
- February 2026: a short layoff of about a week
- January 2026: a muscle injury, around five days out
- August to September 2025: a leg injury, close to a month out
- Earlier: ankle problems in 2024 and 2025, a knee issue in early 2024 and a procedure in 2023
From goalscorer to the man clearing the lines
Ruibal came up through Catalan football at CE Manresa, UE Cornella and CE L'Hospitalet. He joined Betis Deportivo in 2016 and moved into the first team setup a year later. Betis then loaned him out to Cartagena, Rayo Majadahonda and Leganes. The Majadahonda spell in 2018/19 is the one that stands out: 11 goals as an attacker, still his best scoring season.
He returned to Betis for good in 2020, and Pellegrini gradually moved him further back. The 2025/26 numbers show how complete that change has been. He scored five goals and made three or four assists depending on which competitions you count, along with 28 chances created and 69 tackles. He also made a career high 58 clearances. A player signed as a forward ended the season leading the way in defensive clearances.
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 42 (all comps) | 5 | 3 or 4 | Captain, Champions League qualification, ended by surgery |
| 2024/25 | 29 (La Liga) | 1 | 3 | Conference League run, rotated across positions |
| 2023/24 | 18 (La Liga) | 2 | 1 | Interrupted by ankle and knee problems |
| 2022/23 | 26 (La Liga) | 0 | 0 | Established as a defensive option |
| 2018/19 | 34 (Rayo Majadahonda) | 11 | 4 | On loan, playing as an attacker |
Across his career he has passed 200 senior league appearances, with around 28 goals and 12 assists, plus games in Europe and the Copa del Rey. He won the Copa del Rey in 2022 and was part of the squad that reached a European final in 2025.
Versatility has a price
His official position is right-back. In practice he plays wherever Betis need him that weekend. Pellegrini has used him on both wings, at wing-back and as an emergency forward.
That flexibility is his biggest strength, and it also explains why his market value has never been higher. Clubs pay premiums for specialists. Utility players are appreciated by their own coach and undervalued by everyone else. His valuation now sits around 3 million to 4 million euros. That's down from his peak, which is normal as a player enters his thirties, and the surgery hasn't helped.
We think that figure understates his worth to Betis. A captain under contract until 2028 who can cover four positions would cost well over four million euros to replace. Icon Polls would expect Betis to value him internally at closer to 6 million to 8 million euros if a serious offer arrived, though we'd be surprised if one did.
What he earns, as far as anyone knows
Betis do not publish individual wages, so every figure online is a guess, including ours. Icon Polls estimates his salary at around 1.2 million to 1.8 million euros a year before tax and bonuses. That would put him in the middle of the squad's pay structure, below marquee names such as Isco and Antony and above the academy graduates.
Based on a decade as a professional, six years as a first team regular at a club playing in Europe, the captaincy and some modest commercial deals, we estimate his net worth at 10 million to 12 million dollars. Figures above 20 million that appear on some sites are not credible.
The clutch bag afternoon
In 2023, Ruibal and his teammate at the time, Borja Iglesias, went to a Betis colleague's wedding carrying designer clutch bags with their suits. Both were targeted with homophobic abuse online. Ruibal's response was widely reported in Spain. He asked for respect regardless of sexual orientation and said that people who still behaved that way needed help. It looked like a small moment, but it said a lot about him.
Apart from that, he keeps his private life private. There is no confirmed record of a marriage or children, so treat any site that lists a wedding date as unverified.
A 77 in FC 26, and that's about right
EA Sports FC 26 rates him 77 overall at right-back for Betis. That seems fair. Nobody will build an Ultimate Team side around him, but a 77 rated Spanish right-back in La Liga is useful early on and for budget chemistry. His card is built on stamina, work rate, aggression and crossing rather than top speed or finishing, which matches how he actually plays now. Right midfield or right wing are sensible retraining options in Career Mode.
Is he going anywhere?
It's unlikely. He has two years left on his contract, he's the captain, he's coming back from surgery, and he has spoken emotionally about what the club means to him. The realistic outcomes are a renewal closer to 2028 or a free transfer to a smaller side at the end of his deal. A sale in the middle of the season would be a real shock.
Ruibal is a reminder that not every valuable player is a superstar. If you have strong views on the players who are, our best football players of all time poll is open for your vote.
How old is Aitor Ruibal?
He is 30. He was born on 22 March 1996 and turns 31 in March 2027.
Has he played for Spain?
No. He has not been capped by the senior national team, which is common for versatile squad players given Spain's depth at full-back and on the wing.
What injury did he have?
A tear in the external (lateral) meniscus of his right knee. He managed it without surgery for about three years before having it operated on in Barcelona in May 2026.
