Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz, born on May 24, 1991 in Pontevedra, Galicia, is a Spanish football referee who is part of the Galicia Referees Committee. He started his career in lower divisions, officiating in Segunda División B from 2014 to 2019, refereeing 68 matches. Later on, he moved up to Segunda División, where he officiated 41 games between 2019 and 2021. Since the 2021-2022 season, Muñiz Ruiz has been refereeing in the Spanish La Liga, having officiated 67 matches in this category to date.
Throughout his career, he has been recognized with awards such as the Guruceta Trophy in 2020, given to the best referee in Segunda División, and the Vicente Acebedo Trophy in 2021, which distinguishes the best referees and assistants of each season in Spain.
Muñiz Ruiz is known for a strict and firm refereeing style, rigorously applying the rules and showing authority on the field. This characteristic has led to some controversies. For instance, in September 2024, after a match between Real Madrid and Alavés, Muñiz Ruiz's performance was heavily criticized by Real Madrid's official channel, labeling it as "trash refereeing" due to his disciplinary decisions during the game.
Furthermore, in February 2025, during a match between Espanyol and Real Madrid, a challenge by Carlos Romero on Kylian Mbappé was not punished with a red card, sparking a strong reaction from the Madrid club and leading the Technical Referees Committee to suspend Muñiz Ruiz and Iglesias Villanueva, who were relieved of their duties for two weeks.
Spain
