Riqui Puig weighs 123 pounds, is 5 feet 7 inches tall, and just 23 years old, and is now perhaps the best player in the MLS. And you can add Puig to the list of skinniest best soccer players in the world.
For young soccer players who some coaches say they are too small or just not big enough to play at the highest level, Puig is a good role model to look up to. Soccer is a game where skills on the ball and vision and thinking transcend almost everything else.
Puig is of course a product of Barcelona’s La Maria and played 42 games with the Barcelona’s first team. If you watched the Barcelona series on Amazon Prime you’d even see Puig celebrating wins with Messi on the field a few times.
The evolution of Riqui Puig.
The Catalan midfielder showed plenty of glimpses of his quality in the Barça youth team. Here’s a video of some of the best moments of his time at La Masia!
It is somewhat amazing though that such a featherweight of a player is the best player in the American pro soccer league. And if not the best he’s surely in the top ten. The MLS is league that’s characterized more for its physicality. Or maybe was more so in the past. Puig is starting to light up league.
As far as stats go, it is no surprise that the Barcelona trained Puig is on an elite level. Puig has the most passes completed while under pressure in this season.
The most passes completed while under pressure in @MLS this season🏃♂️💨
Riqui Puig leads the way ✨@LAGalaxy #LAGalaxy pic.twitter.com/OQUHEL8usg
— PFF FC (@PFF_FC) June 30, 2023
But Puig is a force. Just watch the effort he makes to score this game winner for the LA Galaxy in front of 80,000 fans at the Rose Bowl.
Riqui Puig scores the game-winning goal in El Tráfico. He makes nearly a forty yard run and points to where he wants the ball in the box. I’m sure all of his teammates back at La Masia are happy he’s doing so well but not surprised.
