Diverse Roots to Multi-Talented Football Star: The Ruben Vargas Story

The story of Ruben Vargas is about a boy who grew up learning to play golf, baseball, tennis, and football all at once. He inherited his talent for golf from his father, Viktor Vargas, who works as a golf instructor in Central Switzerland. Ruben also embraced the diverse cultures of his parents, hailing from Switzerland, the Dominican Republic, and Italy. Unfortunately, his parents separated during his childhood, making him a product of a broken home. In addition to his sports pursuits, Ruben worked at construction sites and completed a painting apprenticeship as a backup plan for his football career.

Our Ruben Vargas Biography tells you Facts about his Childhood Story, Early Life, Parents – Fabienne Della Giacoma (Mother), Viktor Vargas (Father), Family Background, Siblings – Brother (Manuel Vargas), Wife, etc.

Our article on the History of the Swiss Winger also provides details on his Family Origin, Ethnicity, Lifestyle, Personal Life, Net Worth and Salary Breakdown.

Preamble:

Our Ruben Vargas Biography begins by telling you notable events of his boyhood years.

Next, we’ll explain the details of his early career journey, where he multitasked a lot. Next is how the Swiss Winger rose to succeed in the beautiful game.

We hope to whet your autobiography appetite as you read Ruben Vargas’ Bio. To begin right away, let’s show you this gallery that explains the highlights of his career life.

From his sweet boyhood years to the Euro 2021 disappointment and eventual football rise, Ruben has truly come a long way.

Yes, many soccer fans know he is a bright, creative attacking player who possesses many strong traits when he is with and without the ball.

Again, he is a diminutive winger who shares specific traits with Xherdan Shaqiri and has lots of speed, panache, and a low centre of gravity.

In our quest to research Switzerland footballers, we found a knowledge gap. The truth is, not many fans have read an in-depth version of Ruben Vargas’ Biography, which is very exciting. So, we have taken time to make this article. Without further ado, let’s begin.

Ruben Vargas Childhood Story:

For Biography starters, he bears the full name – Ruben Estephan Vargas Martinez. He also bears the nickname “Rube”.

Ruben Vargas was born on the 5th day of August 1998 to his Mother, Fabienne Della Giacoma and Father, Viktor Vargas, in Adligenswil, Switzerland.

The Swiss professional footballer who operates as a winger is one among two children born to the short-lived union between his Mum and Dad.

Now, let’s introduce you to one of Ruben Vargas’ parents – his Mum. Meet Fabienne Della Giacoma, the woman who gave her son’s life meaning.

Growing-Up Years:

Ruben Vargas never grew up at his family home alone. Rather, he spent the best part of his childhood with a younger sibling. Manuel is Ruben Vargas’ bother. It is pertinent to state that both Swiss siblings play soccer.

The Vargas siblings (who were born to Fabienne Della Giacoma) share a close bond. They, who enjoy each other’s company all day, grew up at 5400 Seelendorf Adligenswil in Lucerne.

Again, Ruben and Manuel (his brother) grew up in the town where ex-Nati player Stephan Lichtsteiner spent his childhood.

The pair (Ruben and Manuel) had the best of their childhood years in Adligenswil, a community of around 5,000 people located on the outskirts of Lucerne City.

Ruben Vargas Early Life:

The Swiss professional footballer was known for his childhood versatility in different sports.

For many who knew him, it was already clear from birth that any one of these sports – golf, soccer, baseball and tennis would play a very special role in Ruben Vargas’ life.

As a little boy, young Vargas (who is pictured below) was positively influenced by his role model, Stephan Lichtsteiner. Shockingly, these two later played together at the same club.

The Swiss youngster started his sporting life with baseball, tennis and golf. All of these sports he inherited from his Dad, Victor Vargas.

As early as 10, Ruben got a call to play for a Swiss academy, FC Luzern, and that meant everything to him. Despite having an opportunity in soccer, the boy was smart about securing his future.

Ruben knew he must create a backup plan despite his multitude of talents (even in the area of non-sports).

The youngster, who was too smart, far-sighted and careful, decided to begin two apprenticeships (even as a young footballer).

One of the apprenticeships is in the area of learning how to make professional paintings. And the other was working on the construction site.

Back in the day, the intelligent Ruben would wake up very early to work at the construction site and do some painting exercises before he went for soccer training.

Thankfully, today, Ruben has used one stone to kill multiple birds. He, who has now successfully completed his painting and construction work apprenticeships, is now a football hero for Switzerland.

Ruben Vargas Family Background:

To start with, his Dad, Papa Viktor (or Victor) Vargas, works as a golf instructor in Central Switzerland. Ruben would have become a professional in golf (through his Dad’s training) if he hadn’t chosen football.

The Swiss youngster once revealed that he had a golf club in his hands (from age three) even before he contemplated becoming a professional footballer. In his words,

My father, for years, has been a golf instructor at Sempach.

As a boy, I played a lot of golf to compensate – even in Sempach and when I’m at home.

On the other hand, his mum, Fabienne Della Giacoma, used to do gymnastics.

Our research shows that Ruben Vargas’ Mum, at the age of 20, represented Switzerland in the Trampoline European Championships. Sadly, a training accident ended Fabienne’s gymnastic career.

As Ruben Vargas once said, his athletic talent is something he got more from his dad. He, however, reveals that his Dad isn’t the calm type. And that calmness in sports is a genetic virtue he got from his beloved mother, Fabienne.

When Ruben Vargas’ parents went their separate ways (during his childhood), he didn’t allow that to affect his future negatively.

Rather, the Swiss footballer decided to benefit from learning the different cultures of his Dad and Mum.

Ruben Vargas Family Origin:

As regards getting to know about his roots, the first thing to know is the fact that the Swiss, just like Ethan Ampadu and Jamaal Musiala, have more than two nationalities.

Put simply, Ruben Vargas is from these countries – Italy, Switzerland and the Dominican Republic.

Starting with Fabienne Della Giacoma, his Mum, she has Swiss and Italian family origins. Fabienne Della Giacoma has Italian citizenship through her mother (her son’s grandmum).

And Viktor Vargas, his Dad, has his family origins in the Dominican Republic. Despite the three nationalities of his parents, Ruben has said that he always feels Swiss in his blood.

We have a map below that shows Ruben Vargas’ Swiss origins. Adligenswil, where the footballer comes from, is 43 minutes (47 km) from Zürich, the largest city in the country.

It is pertinent to state that the Swiss winger and his role model, friend and mentor (Stephan Lichtsteiner) are the two most popular soccer stars from this village.

Ethnicity:

Because of Ruben Vargas’ maternal ancestry, he identifies with the Swiss-Italian people.

With around 700,000 speakers, the Swiss-Italian ethnic group is one of the country’s official languages (the third most-spoken) after Swiss German and Swiss French.

The FC Augsburg winger (because of his Dad’s origins) also identifies with the Swiss-Caribbean ethnic group.

Ruben Vargas Education:

Making their sons get the knowledge of different sports was critical for his parents. Two years before Vargas began pre-schooling (aged 3), the youngster always had the baseball bat in his hand. In addition, Ruben played tennis and learned how to run very fast – with good timing and coordination.

According to his teachers at that time, the boy was sportingly motivated, very sociable and decent.

Ruben Vargas’ Mum also revealed that her son was particularly ambitious in sports. Fabienne said that Ruben cared more about winning rather than reading his books.

Even though he completed his early education, the future Swiss winger was always seen on the sports field from an early age – as revealed by his mother.

Ruben Vargas Biography – Football Story:

From the early years, there was the difficult choice of choosing between tennis, basketball, baseball, and golf. In the end, it was Ruben’s football talent that became apparent very quickly – when compared to the other sports.

While growing up in Adligenswil, Ruben enjoyed his football with boys in the Lucerne community.

The career of the youngster progressed very quickly, thanks to his talent. Ruben is always glad that he started off well by scoring lots of goals.

As a boy playing soccer, young Ruben learned a lot from his mentor, Stephan Lichtsteiner. Both come from the same village, as said earlier, and Stephan is 14 years older than Vargas.

Ruben and Lichtsteiner (who broke lots of records in his childhood) attended the same school. In 2007, Vargas’ career started with his local club, FC Adligenswil. A year later, he moved to Luzern.

While playing football in the Lucerne community, young Ruben helped his team wins a tournament with the U-11s.

Stephan Lichtsteiner (his role model) was always available in the final to hand the boys their trophy.

Ruben Vargas Bio – Road to Fame Story:

Although he lacked the physicality, the Speedy Swiss Winger made more impact than the heavyweights of his team. Ruben Vargas is someone who knows how to assert himself in every competition he plays.

The youngster learnt how to utilise his small body against big opponents. Ruben did that not with arrogance but through courage. He was the type who never shied away from a duel with robust opponents.

Again, Ruben never asked himself the question – “Can I get past this big defender?” It was his determination to always distinguish him from others – says Gerardo Seoane, his U-15s Lucerne coach.

As Ruben Vargas did his painting and construction working apprenticeship, Fabienne Della Giacoma, his Mum always ensured her son kept his feet on the ground.

Multitasking between being a painter, working in construction, and playing soccer made Ruben mentally stronger.

Even though he knew he would become a successful footballer, the youngster never abandoned the training he got on painting and on the construction site.

Ruben Vargas Biography – Success Story:

The best coach of his youth, Gerardo Seoane, never lost sight of him. The tactician (pictured below) encouraged Ruben a lot. Gerardo built a team around Vargas during his youthful days.

Luckily, Ruben graduated to become a senior player when the Swiss coach got promoted to manage Luzern’s senior team.

When Ruben Vargas’ coach moved to Young Boys, he made plays to carry Ruben along with him. The coach wanted him at his club, but Lucerne (Ruben’s club) made it clear that they would reject a transfer.

Because of that, the Swiss talent (who scored these great goals) accepted a move to FC Augsburg in  2019.

A new Chapter of his Success Story:

The FC Augsburg shooting star (to the surprise of many who knew him from childhood) found himself facing destiny.

Do you know?… Ruben Vargas played alongside his role model, Stephan Lichtsteiner, who joined FC Augsburg in 2019. This was the last club the Swiss Legend joined before his eventual retirement.

With the German club, the stage became different. And much bigger for Vargas, who enjoyed every part of it.

In his early seasons with the club, he enjoyed his football alongside notable names like Ricardo Pepi, Felix Götze (brother of Mario Gotze), and Rani (brother of Sami Khedira).

More importantly, the boy who claimed the football leader through multitasking in different jobs achieved his sporting dreams with the Swiss national team.

Alongside Manuel Akanji, Speedster Breel Embolo, the Swiss Captain and Legend Granit Xhaka, etc, Ruben Vargas hopes to put up a great show at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Winger joins other top-rated Swiss players who have (on several occasions) made an entire country proud. The rest, as we say, is now history.

Ruben Vargas Girlfriend:

For the record, the Swiss professional footballer is not single. Behind the success he has achieved over the years comes this glamorous lady, whom we have pictured below.

Now, let’s introduce you to Ruben Vargas’ Girlfriend. She, who has attained best-friend status with her boyfriend, is likely to be his wife (rumours say).

As I write this Bio, the highly-rated winger has yet to reveal his partner’s name. Many fans believed Ruben Varged began dating his girlfriend just before he earned himself a career-changing move to the Bundesliga.

Personal Life:

Who is Ruben Vargas?

To start with, he is a footballer whose tears once hit us (football fans) right in our hearts. Ruben is a big Swiss football promise, and not forgetting; he is a very handsome man who never stops taking responsibility.

When Ruben gives an interview, he is the type who chooses his words carefully.  Always with caution, he speaks only what is necessary and never wants to impose himself on anything.

Put simply, the Nati Baller is an easygoing guy who is very comfortable in his own skin. To this day, he still enjoys other sports and hobbies (like painting).

Even as a professional, Ruben Vargas still carries his golf equipment to participate in the sport. In fact, there are some players in his Augsburg team who have joined him to play golf.

People who know Ruben Vargas describe himself as a funny person who hates to lose and loves to enjoy life.

He is the type who wants to be the best in everything he does. This explains why Vargas never gave up on his apprenticeship and football dreams.

Speaking of his apprenticeship, the Winger was trained as a painter by the Durrer AG painting business in Lucerne, a compact city in Switzerland. Ruben’s motivations are ideal, whether in the professional soccer world OR in his painting hobby.

The day Vargas will never forget:

Recently in the 2020 European Championship, he was one of the penalty heroes against the almighty Didier Deschamps‘ France team. But in the quarter-finals (Switzerland vs Spain), he became one of the footballers who failed in their attempt to score a crucial penalty.

That moment struck Ruben Vargas, who cried and became so devastated. It took the effort of his Swiss teammates, especially one opponent (Thiago Alcantara), to console him greatly – in what fans described as a classy gesture. What an emotional scene!

Watch the emotional moment here, where Thiago consoled Ruben after he missed a penalty.

The Augsburg winger was one of three Swiss footballers who missed in the quarter-finals penalty shootout that day. Thanks to the efforts of persons who consoled him, Ruben’s tears dried up quickly. But the once-heartbroken footballer will never forget that day.

Today, Ruben Vargas has grown to become a more self-confident footballer. A man who is no longer dwells on his past and is prepared to take even bigger responsibility on the pitch.

Ruben Vargas Lifestyle:

Speaking about the way Swiss Winger lives, it is pertinent to state that he is a sensitive person who cares less about luxury. Ruben Vargas does not fit into the category of swanky footballers who use social media to display their exotic cars, big houses, etc.

Before he got a girlfriend, Ruben learned how to cook for himself – mostly at evenings. The efforts he used to achieve that are a testament to the teachings of his Mum. Ruben termed the idea of living alone in the first season of his German arrival as a “school of life.”

On the day he moved to his Augsburg first house, the first thing he did was to check if the paintings on the wall had been carried out carefully. With the amazing eyes of an expert, and his smile, an artistic Vargas judged by saying…

“They did a good painting job.”

Shortly thereafter, the Swiss footballer didn’t suffer from much boredom as he got a teammate who had a very familiar face. That person is no other than his role model, Stephan Lichtsteiner.

As earlier recalled in this Bio, this is the man the Swiss Winger looked up to. Speaking about how destiny brought them together, Ruben once said;

“I’ve known Stephan since I was a kid. He is the most famous athlete from my Swiss hometown. Stephan went to the same school I attended.

I had pictures of him on the wall of his childhood home! The fact that I and Stephan now play together in the same team is a dream.”

Loves the warmer climate:

The FC Augsburg shooting star, as stated earlier in this article, has his family origins in Switzerland, Italy, and the Dominican Republic. The quest to study more about his Dad’s origin (the Dominican Republic) is the reason why Vargas is drawn to visiting places with warmer climates – especially during holidays.

In the photo below, Ruben Vargas and his Swiss national team best friend, Noah Okafor, were once pictured enjoying what looks like a warm holiday. Both Pals have some things in common, which is; entertaining Swiss football fans on the pitch and enjoying the holiday sun.

Ruben Vargas Family Life:

The free-scoring winger has said that his success today comes from the mix of what he inherited from his parents. The joy of playing sports comes from his Dominican Republic Dad, and his calmness is what he inherited from his Swiss-Italian Mum. Now, let’s tell you more about the Nati stars’ family members.

Ruben Vargas Father:

Thanks to Victor’s Dominican Republic origins, his son became the first Bundesliga player with family links to the Caribbean island nation.

Victor Vargas once excelled at playing golf in  Switzerland. Do you know?… it was through golf that he met Fabienne Della Giacoma, who gave birth to their two sons (Ruben and Manuel).

Mr Victor Vargas is versatile in sports. He is not only into golf but also a semi-pro baseball player. Victor made Ruben versatile, making him fall in love with multiple sports. As earlier recalled, the Winger, who got inspiration from his Dad, began holding a baseball bat in his hand at age 3.

The father of Ruben Vargas is a close friend of Thomas Hager, a Swiss football fan and a BlickSports reader. Speaking about Victor’s reaction to his son missing the Euro 2020 penalty against Spain, Thomas Hager said, 

I know his father! He (Victor Vargas) searched for words after the missed penalty and almost apologized to me. I calmed him down, told him that he should be proud and that many people’s nerves fail under these circumstances, and bought him a beer.

Ruben Vargas Mother:

Fabienne Della Giacoma is 56 years old at the time of writing her son’s Biography. Ruben Vargas’ Mum is a sportswoman who began doing gymnastics right from her kindergarten days.

A few years later (beginning in her sixth grade), she proceeded to trampoline jumping. Victor Vargas’ Mum (Fabienne) made it to the national level until a knee injury forced her to retire.

As a devoted Mum, she has experienced how emotional football and sports generally can be. Fabienne was right there for her son when he missed the Euro 2020 penalty shoot-out and cried uncontrollably. In her words,

I was also sad when I saw Ruben crying like that. But after I spoke to him, my son became very proud that he took on the penalty responsibility.

I hope my son never stop taking penalties.

In 2016, Ruben Vargas’ Mum asked for the services of Josef Jost, a football consultant. She wanted him to advise her son as well as help him plan his career. That advice, today, is done with other Lucerne residents; Claudio Lustenberger, Michel Renggl, and Alain Wiss.

Fabienne Della Giacoma is often the first person to sense that her son is not in the best shape of mind, even though he hides it.

She advises him never to walk away from failure. And he should believe in himself, work on himself and never stop trying even if he fails again.

Ruben Vargas Stepfather:

Based on the information available to us, the Swiss Winger’s Mother remarried following the separation from Victor, her husband. Fabienne Della Giacoma is remarried to a man whose occupation is carpentry.

Vargas’ stepdad, like his biological parents, has greatly influenced his career. He once worked with a friend, Carlo Durrer, to draw up a battle plan as to how Ruben could best master the double burden of his football and apprenticeship training.

Ruben Vargas Grandparents:

On his mother’s side, the Speedy winger from Adligenswil has Italian ancestry. At the time of putting up this memoir, there exists no documentation about her. From the little we’ve gathered, she, an Italian, gave birth to Fabienne Della Giacoma (Ruben’s Mum) in Switzerland.

Ruben Vargas Brother – Manuel:

Nicknamed Manu, he is the younger sibling of the Euro 2020 sensation. Like his older brother (Ruben), Manuel Vargas is even more diminutive in nature. Manu, who goes by the full name Manuel Martinez Vargas, has a facial resemblance to his celebrity big brother.

Ruben’s brother, Manuel Vargas, was born on the 4th day of 2001. By implication, he is three years younger than his older brother, whom this Bio is all about. Ruben Vargas’ brother is a footballer who plays as a midfielder for FC Kickers Luzern (as of 2022).

Untold Facts:

In the final phase of Ruben Vargas’ Biography, we’ll unveil more truths you might not know about him. Without further ado, let’s begin.

Ruben Vargas’ FIFA Stats:

When you think of Swiss footballers with the best Sprint Speed, it is no longer Kevin Mbabu. Ruben Vargas (the new man in town as of 2022) ranks number 1.

As noticed from the FIFA Stats below, the footballer enjoys above 90 perfect movement stats of Spring Speed, Agility, and Balance.

His second role model:

For the record, that second person is not Lionel Messi, nor was it the Brazilian Ronaldo or CR7. This person is no other than the Cameroonian striker Jean-Michel Tchouga.

When Ruben was a junior, he met and admired the Striker when he did ballboy duties for FCL (FC Luzern) Super League home games.

Ruben Vargas Salary Breakdown:

The contract with Augsburg sees him (as of 2022) earning the sum of €1,145,760. When converted into Swiss francs and dollars, we have 1,120,856 francs and $1,113,793.

How rich is the Swiss Winger?

Where Ruben Vargas’ Family comes from, the average Swiss makes roughly 72,000 CHF annually. Do you know?… Such a person would need 15 years and six months to make  Ruben Vargas’ annual salary with FC Augsburg.

Ruben Vargas Religion:

The footballer is a Christian who acknowledges the fact that God plays an important role in his life. Ruben Vargas always has his Christian faith in mind, and that has helped make his humility extraordinary. When he scores, he joins many professional footballers who point their two fingers to the sky in appreciation to God.

EndNote:

Ruben Vargas is the son of a Swiss-Italian mother (born in Lucerne) and a Dominican Republic father. He was born on the 5th day of August 1998 to his parents – Victor Vargas (his Dad) and Fabienne Della Giacoma (his Mum). Both of Ruben Vargas’ parents are separated.

The Swiss footballer spent his childhood alongside a brother named Manuel – who was born on the 4th of July 2001. Both siblings grew up in the Lucerne municipality of Adligenswil. While there, they began their careers to become professional footballers.

Vargas is the son of a Dominican Dad who teaches golf for a living in Central Switzerland. Early on, Ruben began his apprenticeship as a painter and didn’t stop even when he realized that he could make a breakthrough in football.

As a youngster, he accepted ex-Switzerland captain Stephan Lichtsteiner as his role model. Both Vargas and Stephan (who later played together as professionals) shared the same hometown (Adligenswil). From the age of 10, it quickly becomes clear that Ruben Vargas has a lot of talent.

The diminutive winger, who shares speed traits with Xherdan Shaqiri, graduated from Luzern Academy to become a professional.

A career move to FC Augsburg in Germany saw his rise and a deserved national team call-up to play alongside other top stars like Djibril Sow in the Swiss national team.

Vargas has moved past the events of the Quarter-Finals of Euro 2021. As I write his life story, I see that he is dedicated to making his country proud at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Appreciation Note:

Thank you for taking the time to read our version of Ruben Vargas’ Biography. We care about accuracy and fairness in our collective quest to deliver European Football Stories. Ruben Vargas’ Bio is contained in our collection of Swiss Football Stories.

Please reach out to us via comment if you notice anything that doesn’t look right in the article about the Swiss winger.

Also, we’d appreciate it if you tell us what you think about the Nati High Flier’s career – including the amazing article we’ve written about him.

Aside from Ruben Vargas’ Biography, we’ve got other interesting Swiss Football Biography Stories for you.

The Life History of Matheus Nunes and Johan Bakayoko will excite you. And from a female’s perspective, you’ll love the history of Coumba Sow (the sister of Jibril Sow).