Gerónimo Rulli
Argentine footballer (born 1992)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gerónimo Rulli (Spanish pronunciation: [xeˈɾonimo ˈruli]; Italian: [ˈrulli]; born 20 May 1992) is an Argentine footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Manchester City and the Argentina national team.
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Rulli with Argentina in 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gerónimo Rulli[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 20 May 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | La Plata, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Manchester City | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 28 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Estudiantes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Estudiantes | 50 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Deportivo Maldonado | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | → Real Sociedad (loan) | 58 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Manchester City | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | → Real Sociedad (loan) | 38 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | Real Sociedad | 53 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | → Montpellier (loan) | 25 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2023 | Villarreal | 47 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Ajax | 26 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023-2024 | Jong Ajax | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2026 | Marseille | 63 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2026– | Manchester City | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2024 | Argentina Olympic (O.P.) | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018– | Argentina | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:58, 17 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 03:59, 10 June 2026 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rulli joined Estudiantes's youth team in 2009, making his professional debut for them in 2013. Between 2014 and 2020, he played for Real Sociedad, twice on loan before joining them on a permanent deal in 2017. He played in 170 matches for the club in five seasons. He joined French club Montpellier on loan in 2019. In 2020, he joined Villarreal staying at the club for two-and-a-half seasons, winning the UEFA Europa League in 2020–21.
He featured for Argentina in the 2016 Olympic tournament in Brazil. He made his debut for the senior national team in 2018. Though he did not play any minutes, Rulli was a member of the Argentina squads that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Copa América. Rulli also competed for Argentina at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[2]
Club career
Estudiantes
Born in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Rulli graduated from local Estudiantes' youth setup, being promoted to the first-team squad in 2012, being initially assigned as a backup to Justo Villar and Agustín Silva. On 8 April 2013, after profiting from Villar's departure to Nacional and Silva's injury, he played his first match as a professional, starting in a 0–1 loss at Arsenal de Sarandí.[3]
Rulli appeared in further 11 matches during the campaign, and established a record of 588 minutes without suffering a goal.[4] He appeared in all league matches in 2013–14, overtaking Silva in the pecking order.
Real Sociedad and loan to Montpellier
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On 24 July 2014 Rulli was loaned to La Liga's Real Sociedad for one year from Deportivo Maldonado,[5] which bought the player's rights a month earlier.[6] He made his debut for the club on 28 August, starting and being replaced in the 85th minute of a 0–3 away loss against Krasnodar in the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League due to an ankle injury.[7]
Rulli returned to action in November, and made his debut in the main category of Spanish football on 20 December 2014, starting in a 1–1 away draw against Levante.[8] On 4 January of the following year, he made several key saves which granted the Txuri-urdin a 1–0 home win against Barcelona.[9]
On 4 July 2015, Rulli's loan was extended for a further year.[10]
On 19 July 2016, Rulli was signed by Premier League side Manchester City for £4 million.[11] He was shortly afterwards loaned back to Real Sociedad, before moving permanently in January 2017.[12] On 14 August 2019, Rulli joined Ligue 1 club Montpellier on a season-long loan with the option to make the transfer permanent.[13]
Villarreal
On 4 September 2020, after his loan ended with Montpellier, Rulli agreed to a four-year deal with Villarreal.[14] In his first season, manager Unai Emery preferred to play Sergio Asenjo in goal in the league, and Rulli in the Europa League. He made his league debut for the club on 21 April in a 2–1 loss at Deportivo Alavés, having been chosen to prepare for the European semi-final against Arsenal.[15][16]
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On 26 May 2021, Rulli scored the winning penalty kick[17] and then saved David de Gea's penalty in his side's 11–10 penalty shoot-out victory over Manchester United in the final of the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League after the game finished 1–1 at extra-time to win the first European title for Villarreal.[18] In the second leg of the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League semi-finals, Villarreal was leading 2–0 against Liverpool in the first half to level the tie 2–2 on aggregate. In the second half, he made goalkeeping errors and conceded three goals, in which his team eventually lost 3–2 in the Estadio de la Cerámica, and was knocked out of the competition.[19]
Ajax
On 6 January 2023, Eredivisie side Ajax announced they had agreed the transfer of Rulli with Villarreal, signing the player on a three-and-a-half-year contract until 30 June 2026, with an option for an additional year.[20] The clubs agreed on an initial transfer fee reported to be €8 million, with potential add-ons bringing the total value to €10 million.[21]
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Rulli made his debut for the club on 11 January 2023, keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 KNVB Beker win against FC Den Bosch.[22] Three days later, he made his Eredivisie debut in a 0–0 draw against Go Ahead Eagles. He quickly established himself as Ajax's primary goalkeeper under manager Alfred Schreuder and interim successor John Heitinga, making 19 league appearances during the second half of the 2022–23 season as Ajax finished third in the table.
On 12 August 2023, during Ajax's opening match of the 2023–24 season against Heracles Almelo, Rulli suffered a severe shoulder injury following a collision in the 25th minute, forcing him off the field.[23] The injury required surgery, ruling him out for the remainder of the calendar year. During his recovery, summer transfer Diant Ramaj established himself as Ajax's first-choice goalkeeper under interim manager John van 't Schip.
Rulli returned to match fitness in November 2023 and re-entered the starting line-up in April 2024 following an elbow injury to Ramaj. He featured in the final stretch of the Eredivisie campaign, concluding his tenure at the club with 32 appearances across all competitions.[24]
On 11 August 2024, Ajax reached an agreement with Ligue 1 club Olympique de Marseille for the permanent transfer of Rulli for an undisclosed fee reported to be €4 million.[24]
Marseille
On 11 August 2024, Rulli moved to Ligue 1 club Marseille.[25][26]
Manchester City
On 12 August 2026, Rulli signed a two-year contract with Premier League club Manchester City.[27]
International career
On 20 March 2015, Rulli was called up to the Argentina national team for the matches against El Salvador and Ecuador,[28] but he did not play in either fixture. In 2016, Rulli was included in the preliminary squad for Copa América Centenario but was eventually excluded.[29]
Rulli was chosen as the overage player for the Argentina Olympic squad at the 2016 Olympic tournament in Brazil.[30] He played all three games in a group stage elimination, and filled in for the suspended Víctor Cuesta as captain in the last of those, a 1–1 draw with Honduras.[31] After Jorge Sampaoli took charge in May 2017, Rulli was consistently called up to Argentina's senior squad, but did not play.[32][33] Under manager Lionel Scaloni, he made his first team debut against Guatemala on 8 September 2018, in a 3–0 friendly win in Los Angeles.[34][35]
On 1 June 2022, Rulli remained as an unused substitute as Argentina won 3–0 against reigning European Champions Italy at Wembley Stadium in the 2022 Finalissima.[36]
He was named in Argentina's final 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar by Scaloni.[37] He did not play a single minute in the tournament as Argentina won the World Cup by defeating France 4–2 in a penalty shoot-out to win the final.[38]
In June 2024, Rulli was included in Lionel Scaloni's final 26-man Argentina squad for the 2024 Copa América.[39][40] Again, he didn't play a single minute, since Emiliano Martínez was Argentina's first-choice keeper.
After Emiliano Martínez was handed a two-game suspension for Argentina, Rulli returned to playing for Argentina in October 2024 during 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification[41] which saw him play during a 1–1 draw against Venezuela and a 6–0 win against Bolivia.
On 27 May 2026, Rulli was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[42]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 17 May 2026[43]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Estudiantes | 2011–12 | Argentine Primera División | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2012–13 | Argentine Primera División | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | ||||
| 2013–14 | Argentine Primera División | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 38 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 50 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 53 | 0 | |||||
| Real Sociedad (loan) | 2014–15 | La Liga | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | — | 26 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | La Liga | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 37 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | La Liga | 38 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 44 | 0 | ||||
| Real Sociedad | 2017–18 | La Liga | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8[c] | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | La Liga | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 29 | 0 | ||||
| Real Sociedad total | 149 | 0 | 12 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | — | 170 | 0 | ||||
| Montpellier (loan) | 2019–20 | Ligue 1 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 0 | ||
| Villarreal | 2020–21 | La Liga | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 13[c] | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 12[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Total | 47 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 0 | |||
| Ajax | 2022–23 | Eredivisie | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Eredivisie | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| Total | 26 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | ||||
| Jong Ajax | 2023–24 | Eerste Divisie | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Marseille | 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 0 | |||
| 2025–26 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8[d] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
| Total | 63 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 73 | 0 | |||
| Manchester City | 2026–27 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | 361 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 435 | 0 | ||
- Includes Copa Argentina, Copa del Rey, Coupe de France, KNVB Cup, FA Cup
- Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- Appearance in Trophée des Champions
International
- As of match played 9 June 2026[44]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2018 | 2 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 8 | 0 | |
Honours
Villarreal
Argentina
Individual
- Ubaldo Fillol Award: 2014 Torneo Final
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2020–21[49]
