Richard Ríos

Ríos is a box-to-box central midfielder who contributes both defensively and in attack. His close control and dribbling in tight spaces, which he attributes to his years in futsal, are the most distinctive features of his game; he recorded the best dribble success rate of the 2023 Série A and the most successful dribbles at the 2024 Copa América. He is also physically strong and covers ground with a long stride, and Lorenzo has highlighted his power, his forward runs and his ball control. Abel Ferreira described him as "explosive" and "aggressive", while Mourinho praised his commitment, physicality and ability to handle pressure. His passing has been described as inconsistent.

Futsal

Ríos represented Colombia at under-20 level in futsal, appearing eight times at the 2018 CONMEBOL Under-20 Futsal Championship in Lima, where Colombia finished fifth.

Senior team

Ríos received his first senior call-up from Néstor Lorenzo in September 2023, for World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Chile. He made his debut on 12 October 2023, replacing Mateus Uribe in the 67th minute of a 2–2 draw with Uruguay in Barranquilla. He scored his first international goal on 8 June 2024 in a 5–1 friendly win over the United States, dedicating it to his mother on her birthday. At the 2024 Copa América in the United States, Ríos wore the number 6 shirt and played in all six of Colombia's matches. On 6 July, he scored Colombia's fourth goal with a low shot from outside the area in a 5–0 quarter-final win over Panama. Despite an injury sustained in the semi-final, he started alongside Jefferson Lerma in the final against Argentina, which Colombia lost 1–0 after extra time. Ríos completed 18 dribbles over the course of the tournament, more than any other player. On 25 May 2026, Ríos was named in Lorenzo's 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He made his World Cup debut on 17 June, replacing Gustavo Puerta in the 80th minute of a 3–1 win over Uzbekistan in Mexico City, and appeared as a substitute in all five of Colombia's matches as they reached the round of 16, where they were eliminated on penalties by Switzerland. In September 2026, he was included…

Flamengo

After a two-month trial, Flamengo signed Ríos to their youth set-up in July 2019. His under-20 coach, Maurício Souza, later said Ríos arrived with "some futsal habits", such as over-dribbling around the penalty area, but described him as a powerful, box-to-box midfielder; he won several youth titles with the under-20 side. At the start of the 2020 season, Ríos was promoted to a group of reserve and youth players used in the opening rounds 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. He made his Série A debut on 27 September 2020, replacing Guilherme Bala in a 1–1 away draw against Palmeiras at a time when Flamengo's squad had been depleted by a COVID-19 outbreak, playing on the wing, in midfield and at left-back during his 20 minutes on the pitch. The following day, his contract was extended until December 2021.

Mazatlán (loan)

On 21 June 2021, Ríos signed a contract extension with Flamengo until December 2023, and two days later joined Liga MX club Mazatlán on a one-year loan, becoming the club's first signing for the Apertura 2021. He made his debut on 26 July, replacing Alfonso Sánchez in a 2–0 away win over Cruz Azul. In September 2021, after five first-team appearances, he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee in training and was ruled out for six to eight months. He returned to action the…

Ríos was born on 2 June 2000 in Vegachí, a sugarcane-growing town in the Antioquia Department, and grew up in the Niquía area of Bello, near Medellín. He is the son of Neymar and Sandra, and has two older brothers; he has described his father, who ensured the family "never lacked anything", as his greatest example. The family had limited means: his coach at futsal club Alianza Platanera recalled that Ríos often ate at his home, and Ríos later said he watched World Cups at friends' houses because his family could not afford to. After an unsuccessful start in eleven-a-side football, Ríos turned to futsal and became a professional in the sport at 16, playing for Real Antioquia and then Alianza Platanera, with whom he won the Liga Argos. He was selected for Colombia's squad at the 2018 CONMEBOL Under-20 Futsal Championship in Lima, where he played eight matches. Wearing the number 6, he scored and provided two assists as Colombia came from 2–0 down to beat Ecuador 3–2, and his performances at the tournament attracted the attention of Flamengo, who invited him for a trial. He moved to Brazil at 18, later recalling that he "left everything in Colombia" and arrived "with a backpack to fulfil the dream".