- Date of Birth: 24/08/2004
- Age: 21
- Nationality:
Spain - Preferred Position: ST
- Alternative Positions: –
- Club: Málaga CF
- Height: 185 cm
- Contract Until: 30/06/2028
A few days ago, on report number #16 about David Larrubia, we talked about how Málaga CF have some promising players, and even mentioned the player we will be scouting today: Chupete.
Chupete, who’s real name is Carlos Ruiz Rubio and is also known as Chupe, is the main goal scorer of the team and a striker to keep an eye on, both for the short and especially long term.
Málaga CF seem to be candidates to promotion after some years and lots of tragedies. Is Chupete ready to bring them back? Will he maintain them in the first division in case of promotion? Let’s find out
Goals are expensive… and Chupete has a tone of them
We mentioned it in Larrubia’s report already, but let’s go through it again. If you already read that, please go down until marked.
For context first, Málaga CF were going through a nightmare start to the season. By matchweek 8 they were sitting 19th, deep in relegation territory, and by matchweek 14 they were still 18th, with doubts growing around the project. Confidence was fragile, performances inconsistent and the table did not lie.
Fast forward eleven matches, and the picture looks completely different. Málaga now sit comfortably in 5th place after an outstanding run of six consecutive wins and eight matches unbeaten. The team feels sharper, more structured and emotionally stronger. The ideas are clearer, the automatisms more fluid, and the belief has returned.
In Larrubia’s report we added: “Throughout both the storm and the resurgence, two names consistently stood above the rest: Chupete — whose profile deserves its own detailed review — and David Larrubia. While others fluctuated with form and momentum, Larrubia remained the offensive spark, the player capable of breaking games open when structure alone was not enough.”
And the time has come to review Chupete.
First things first, I’m going to be 100% transparent with you. Usually, this is the long section of the report where we break down why the player deserves the hype, why he’s special, and why he might be destined for something bigger. And today… it won’t exactly be like that.
Chupete has scored a lot of goals. He has excellent finishing, sharp positioning and a very clean strike of the ball. Apart from that, he shines for his… and his…
Yeah, I guess you get the irony there ;).
Chupete shines as a number nine. And in football, goals are everything. They are the hardest thing to produce, the most expensive commodity in the market, and the reason why strikers often carry disproportionate value. If you score consistently, you will always have a place.
And Chupete does exactly that. He is a natural goal scorer. He understands space inside the box, anticipates rebounds, attacks the near post instinctively and shows up where he has to be when he has to be. That kind of timing cannot really be taught — it is either there or it isn’t.
On top of that, he shows composure beyond his age. When chances fall to him, he doesn’t rush. He finishes with calmness, choosing placement over power when needed. Many young forwards panic in front of goal — he doesn’t.
Now… here’s where the nuance comes in.
In some way, he reminds me of Álvaro Morata. A striker everyone initially praises as being more than just a finisher — someone who might develop into a complete forward — and who eventually proves to be exactly what he was from the beginning: a goal scorer. Nothing less… but not necessarily much more either. In fact, sometimes he isn’t even that.
And that’s not an insult.
Being “just” a goal scorer is one of the most valuable traits in football. The question is whether Chupete can expand his influence beyond the box — link-up play, physical dominance, creative contribution — or whether he will remain a specialist.
Right now, he is a very good one. And sometimes… that’s more than enough.
Loooots of things to improve and to prove
Chupete’s profile should be similar to Viktor Bjarki Dadasson— a reference point up front, capable of bringing the ball down, dominating aerially and finishing chances with authority.
He certainly has the physique for it. At just under 1.86m, he is tall, strong and tough. Broad shoulders, good frame, presence inside the box… everything suggests he should be an aerial menace.
Yet reality tells a different story.
Despite his build, he wins only 28% of his aerial duels — a surprisingly low number for a striker with those physical tools. For a player who could theoretically serve as a focal point, that statistic is difficult to ignore. Being tall is one thing. Using it effectively is another.
Now, not every tall striker dominates in the air. Some compensate with refined link-up play, strong passing numbers and constant involvement in build-up. But with an average of just 10 passes per game, it is clear Chupete does not fall into that category either.
Others make up for limited aerial presence with mobility, dribbling ability or creative spark. But that’s not his profile. He averages 0.2 dribbles per game, with a success rate of 21% — numbers that suggest beating defenders off the dribble is not part of his natural toolkit.
So where does that leave us?
It leaves us with a striker who is an instinctive finisher, who understands positioning and has real composure in front of goal… but who still needs to evolve his overall game. Either he becomes more complete — improving his duels, link-up play and general involvement — or he fully embraces specialization and becomes elite at one very defined role.
Ironically, he might be even more valuable if he scored half the goals but won twice as many duels and doubled his involvement. Modern football increasingly demands multifunctional forwards.
The big question remains: will his speed, finishing and natural intuition inside the box be enough to carry him to the next level?
We’ll find out soon enough.
And honestly… I hope someone revisits this report in a few years and shuts my mouth completely. I genuinely root for him — for his charisma, his presence, his personality on the pitch.
Maybe not so much for the current stats… but definitely for the story.
Summary
Strengths:
- Finishing and Goal scoring
- Positioning and intuitions
- Physique
- Composure in front of goal
- Did I say goals (?)
- Runs behind defenders
- Goals scoring ability (x2)
Weaknesses:
- Lack of involvement, passing and vision
- Not a natural duel winner
- No dribbling capacity nor creativity
- Unclear role in the team… Not a reference 9, not a link-up one, …
- Needs overall improvements in almost every part of his game apart from… that’s right: GOAL SCORING
Player Comparison
In these images, the player is ranked against others in the same position and league. For each metric, you’ll see the statistic name, the player’s average per 90 minutes, and their percentile rank—which shows how they compare to their peers (e.g., an 80th percentile means they performed better than 80% of players in that group).
Future Moves and Player Expectations
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