The UNAM forward did not see his future linked to sports after not receiving any offers to play, he even thought about dedicating himself to "talacha"
Jorge Ruvalcaba is one of the youngest players in the Pumas squad. Originally from California but with strong Mexican roots, the feline midfielder is living his dream at 20 years old, after just a year ago, working as a packer and considering leaving professional soccer.
Ruvalcaba attended high school in the United States, where he went to Rialto and Colton High School. However, he did not receive any scholarships to university, so he started working in a warehouse for an international company.
"In high school, I never received any offers or scholarships for university. I didn't see myself having a future in soccer. I never had the luck of a team calling me and I said, I'm going to work and study, play soccer in the talacha", he confessed exclusively to ESPN.
"There, before coming here, I worked 8 to 10 hours a day. I worked in the Amazon warehouse as a packer. I started working after high school when I was 18 years old. Mainly, I wanted my own money and since I never got anything from soccer, I had to work and study," added the young player to this portal.
Ruvalcaba smiles at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario, where he feels at home despite being far from California, where his brothers, parents, and grandparents live, who are from Michoacán.
It was Professor Luis Loret who sent him to a friendly game where scouts from various teams would be looking out for the best prospects. The Pumas, immediately, did not hesitate to send him to their Under-20 category. Jorge didn't think twice because he knew that the dream of becoming a professional was close.
"Imagine. Almost everything happened very quickly in a year. I am very lucky and it is an honor to be here. In the United States, I worked with a coach [Luis Loret] at the Ocelot Academy. The Pumas saw me, told me to join the Under-20 team, and without thinking, I came," he said.
His fellow homegrown players at UNAM call him the 'Jewel'. Ruvalcaba is aware of the nickname and finds it funny, but he doesn't see himself that way no matter how much he is praised on social media or called that by his friends.
"I don't see myself as the jewel, I don't think that way, I don't look at social media, I try not to see it, the good or the bad. I know they call me that because they do it here too, but no."
Today he plays alongside Eduardo Salvio, Juan Dinenno, and Gustavo Del Prete. His goals include becoming the next reference for the feline club and continuing his process in the national team to reach the senior team.
"It's something very nice because Salvio arrives and we all know what he is, he played with Messi, in World Cups, with Benfica, with an important career, and I want to learn from him. Since he arrived, he supports us and gives us confidence, it's about working to someday be like them, like Dinenno and Salvio."
"I lived all my life in Los Angeles, but my family is from Michoacán, they have roots here, and for them, it is a great pride and when I made my debut with Pumas and the national team, they were even crying with happiness. It makes them feel very proud," he said about the pride his family feels because he plays for one of the biggest clubs in Mexico.
Ruvalcaba is very young, but he has already left the clubhouse. Now he lives with José Luis Caicedo, his teammate at Pumas, and although adapting to life in Mexico was a bit difficult at first, living his dream makes everything easier. What he does miss are hamburgers and the seasoning from his grandmother, who makes his two favorite dishes, tamales and green pozole.
"It's something complicated, difficult because you are used to a different lifestyle. I am a person who always spent time with my family, but it is a sacrifice that little by little is paying off," he concluded.