Ruben Wálter Paz Márquez is a Uruguayan former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Paz played at two FIFA World Cups for Uruguay and was also South American Footballer of the Year in 1988. He retired in 2006 at the age of 47. He's currently Peñarol's assistant coach.

The Rey de América, often referred to as the South American Footballer of the Year, is an annual association football award presented to the best footballer in South America over the previous calendar year. The award was conceived by Venezuelan newspaper El Mundo, which awarded it from 1971 to 1992. Uruguayan newspaper El País took over from 1986 onwards, and their award was considered official, but El Mundo continued their award until 1992.