| Rubén Navarro | |
| Fullname: | Rubén Navarro Méndez |
| Birth Date: | 6 June 1978 |
| Birth Place: | Sallent, Spain |
| Youthclubs1: | Sallent |
| Years1: | 1996–1999 |
| Years2: | 1997–1999 |
| Years3: | 1999–2001 |
| Years4: | 2001–2007 |
| Years5: | 2007–2009 |
| Years6: | 2009–2011 |
| Years7: | 2011–2012 |
| Caps1: | 74 |
| Caps2: | 6 |
| Caps3: | 55 |
| Caps4: | 178 |
| Caps5: | 55 |
| Caps6: | 40 |
| Caps7: | 32 |
| Totalcaps: | 440 |
| Goals1: | 21 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Goals3: | 17 |
| Goals4: | 43 |
| Goals5: | 22 |
| Goals6: | 6 |
| Goals7: | 12 |
| Totalgoals: | 121 |
Rubén Navarro Méndez (born 6 June 1978) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker.
He amassed La Liga totals of 147 games and 31 goals over seven seasons, representing Valencia, Numancia and Alavés. He added 187 matches and 57 goals in the Segunda División, in a 15-year professional career.
Navarro was born in Sallent de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia. A product of Valencia CF's youth system, he first appeared in La Liga on 15 June 1997 in a 2–1 home win against Real Oviedo,[1] but could never settle at his first club, moving to CD Numancia where he played two years; he scored ten league goals in his first season in Soria in spite of injury problems, helping barely avoid top-flight relegation.[2]
Subsequently, Navarro joined Deportivo Alavés after the side's runner-up exploits in the UEFA Cup.[3] He was an important attacking element for six years, three spent in the Segunda División; in three of those campaigns, he netted in double digits.[4]
Navarro signed with another team in the second tier for 2007–08, Hércules CF.[5] On 5 April 2009, as they eventually narrowly missed on promotion, he scored a hat-trick against Sevilla Atlético in an 8–0 home rout.[6]
In late June 2009, Navarro returned to his native region after nearly 15 years, signing as a free agent with Gimnàstic de Tarragona for two years.[7] On 2 September 2011, after two seasons of irregular use after which he did not have his contract renewed and was released, the 33-year-old joined CD Leganés in the Segunda División B.[8]