Rubén Estephan Vargas MartÃÂnez (born 5 August 1998) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Spanish club Sevilla and the Switzerland national team.
Vargas made his professional debut for FC Luzern in a 1âÂÂ1 tie with FC Zürich on 27 August 2017.
He signed a 5 year contract with Augsburg in the summer of 2019, becoming the first Bundesliga player of Dominican descent. He scored his first goal in his second match, against Union Berlin.
On 9 January 2025, Vargas signed a contract with Spanish club Sevilla until 2029.
Vargas made his Switzerland senior team debut on 8 September 2019, in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier against Gibraltar. He replaced Granit Xhaka in the 74th minute. On 18 November, he scored his first senior international goal against the same opposition in a 6âÂÂ1 win.
Vargas scored a crucial penalty for Switzerland during UEFA Euro 2020 in a shootout against France on 28 June in the round of 16, helping Switzerland qualify for the quarter-final. However, Vargas, later missed a penalty for Switzerland during the shootout against Spain on 2 July in the quarter-final, which they would end up losing.
Vargas started all four of Switzerland's matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, assisting Remo Freuler's winning goal in the Group G decider against Serbia on 2 December.
On 7 June 2024, Vargas was named in Switzerland's squad for UEFA Euro 2024. He started the team's opening match, playing 74 minutes of a 3âÂÂ1 win over Hungary in Cologne. He was awarded player of the match for Switzerland's round of 16 game against defending champions Italy, both scoring and assisting a goal in a 2âÂÂ0 victory.
Vargas was born in Adligenswil, Switzerland, to a Dominican father called Victor Vargas alias "Filete", and a Swiss mother, and holds citizenship of both nations. Vargas shares a hometown with his former Augsburg teammate and ex Switzerland captain Stephan Lichtsteiner.