Richard Ríos

Early career

Ríos started his career playing futsal and attracted the interest of Flamengo during the 2018 South American Under-20 Futsal Championship. He was invited for a trial period at the Brazilian club and, after two months, Flamengo signed him to their youth team.

Flamengo

In the beginning of the 2020 season, despite still playing in the youth team, Ríos was promoted to the professional team to play alongside reserve players and other youngsters in the first matches of the 2020 Campeonato Carioca. He made his senior debut on 23 January 2020, coming on as a second-half substitute for Matheus Dantas in a 1–0 away win over Vasco da Gama. Ríos made his Série A debut on 27 September 2020, replacing Guilherme Bala in a 1–1 away draw against Palmeiras, as Flamengo was heavily impacted due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the squad. The following day, his contract was renewed until December 2021. On 21 June 2021, Ríos signed a contract extension with Flamengo until December 2023, on the same day the club announced his loan to Mexican club Mazatlán.

Mazatlán (loan)

On 23 June 2021, Flamengo confirmed the one-year loan deal of Ríos to Mazatlán. He made his debut for the club on 26 July, replacing Alfonso Sánchez in a 2–0 away win against Cruz Azul. In September 2021, Ríos suffered a knee injury, only returning to action the following April. In May, after only six matches, Mazatlán opted to not exercise his US$ 1 million buyout clause, and he returned to…

On 12 October 2023, Ríos made his debut as a substitute for Mateus Uribe in the 67th minute of a 2–2 draw against Uruguay. In the 2024 Copa América, he was a member of Colombia squad that finished as runner-up to Argentina. On 25 May 2026, he was named in head coach Néstor Lorenzo's final 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He made his FIFA World Cup debut on 17 June in a 3–1 victory over Uzbekistan, coming on as a substitute for Gustavo Puerta in the closing minutes of the match.

Ríos is a midfielder who plays in several positions. His physical characteristics allow him to play across the midfield in different positions. His technical style includes ball control in restricted spaces and a role in his team's playmaking.

Born in Vegachí, Ríos grew up poor in Colombia and saw sports as his path to a better life. He moved to Brazil to follow his dream of becoming a professional player, arriving with just a backpack.