🇬🇹 How Guatemala became the most fascinating underdog at the Gold Cup
Los Chapines have a YouTuber to thank for their recent improvement!
If any one player embodies Guatemala’s new direction as a national team, it might be Rubio Rubin.
The 29-year-old scored the goal that effectively sent Los Chapines into the Gold Cup quarter-finals for only the second time in 14 years, netting the third goal in a whirlwind 3-2 victory over Guadeloupe.
Rubio, born in Oregon to a Mexican father and a Guatemalan mother, filed a one-time switch to play for Los Chapines in 2022 after being contacted by a YouTuber.
That YouTuber put Guatemala on an upward trajectory that may culminate in World Cup qualification for a national team that faced a suspension from FIFA less then a decade ago.
Sunday’s Gold Cup quarter-final against Canada could be another landmark moment for a team that has already showcased its potential this summer.
