Ruvalcaba On Joining Red Bulls: "It's a club that, if you're not always at the top, there's going to be pressure"

 

Jorge Ruvalcaba with Red Bull New York Head Coach Michael Bradley (right) and Head of Sport Julian de Guzman (left) on Wednesday. Photo by Jason Schott.

At Media Day on Wednesday, Red Bull New York took the opportunity to formally introduce Jorge Ruvalcaba, the club's third Designated Player for the 2026 season.

The Red acquired Ruvalcaba, a Rialto, California native, via transfer for an undisclosed fee from Liga MX club UNAM Pumas. He has signed a four-and-a-half year MLS Contract through the 2029-30 season, with an option for the 30-31 campaign.

Ruvalcaba, 24 years old, spent five years with Pumas, where he made 100 appearances and scored 16 goals, along with nine assists. In the 2025 Liga MX Apertura, Ruvalcaba made 15 appearances, in which he notched five goals and three assists.

In addition to his time with Pumas, Ruvalcaba has played for the Mexico National Team, and he made one appearance when he started and played 60 minutes against Paraguay on November 19, 2025.  This was his first career senior national team appearance, after he spent time with the Mexico U-21 National Team, where he made four appearances and scored a goal in a 2-0 win over Indonesia in the 2022 Maurice Revello Tournament.

Ruvalcaba said on Wednesday of joining Red Bull New York, "I think that the mindset that I've always grown up with, thanks to my parents and just kind of never giving up and wanting to be a good example to my little siblings, thankfully I got the blessing that I'm now sitting down here as a Red Bull player. Very happy, very excited to get going, and just super thankful for the trust that the club has put in me. I think, for any player, that's one of the most important things, and the club has given me that."

On joining the Red Bulls after a season in which they missed the playoffs, which is quite rare, "It's a club that, if you're not always at the top, there's going to be pressure, and you know, as players, we're also blessed to be able to live that type of pressure, and of course, you know, I came here because of a project and because I knew this was a season where we have to fight for the title, and that's how it's going to be. That's why I chose to be a Red Bull."

Red Bull Head of Sport Julian de Guzman said at the time of the signing, "He is a dynamic, creative attacker that has shown great potential and a strong work ethic, and we are confident that he will contribute to our success both on and off the field."