Inter Miami signs Little Havana native, SLAM grad David Ruiz to first-team contract

David Ruiz never imagined when he was a kid growing up in Little Havana playing youth soccer at Charles Hadley Park in Allapattah, that by age 19 he would be on the Inter Miami roster playing Major League Soccer for a team co-owned by David Beckham.

But that is exactly where he finds himself.

Inter Miami announced Friday that it had signed academy product Ruiz as a “Homegrown Player” to a contract running through the 2025 season, with options for 2026 and 2027. He is the sixth academy player to be promoted to the first team.

Ruiz, a Honduran-American, has made two first-team appearances on short-term loans this season. He made his MLS debut on March 25, coming off the bench against Chicago Fire at DRV PNK Stadium. Then on April 22, he again came off the bench again in a road match against Houston Dynamo.

He also has had call-ups to the U.S. U19 team and the Honduras U20 team, which is preparing for the U20 World Cup this summer. He is weighing options with both national teams and does not have to choose one until he is at the senior level.

“It feels great having this opportunity with coaches that believe in me,” Ruiz said by phone. “I have developed a lot, my soccer IQ, speed of play, how sharp my passes are, how intense the game becomes. I keep growing and stay humble.”

He hopes he inspires other young Miami players to chase their dreams. Ruiz attended Riverside Elementary School, Mater Academy Middle and SLAM High School. He played club for seven years for Miami United Stars. His mother owns and runs Alba’s Café, a Honduran restaurant at 2901 S.W. 8^th St.

Ruiz went to Inter Miami academy tryouts at age 17 and did not make the squad, but coach Javi Morales encouraged him to stick with it. Ruiz was invited to guest play at a Dallas tournament, Morales saw him, and invited him back to the Inter Miami academy.

“David is a good player who has grown a lot within our system over the last few years and has already shown he can compete at this level. We’re very excited to continue to help him along his upward trajectory at the Club,” said Inter Miami sporting director Chris Henderson. “We feel we’re continuing to make great strides with our development pathway and we’re happy to have another young player like David come through it and reach the First Team.”

Ruiz joins Noah Allen, Edison Azcona, Benjamin Cremaschi, Ian Fray and Felipe Valencia as homegrown signings.