Richard Ríos #6

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A key cog in Néstor Lorenzo’s midfield, he once dreamed of being a futsal star but fate had other ideas. Started playing football on the streets of Vegachí, in the Antioquía region not too far from Medellín. The region is known for its gold mines but also for producing sugar cane and sweet treats containing guava fruit. “Football was a good alternative to heading down the wrong path,” Ríos once said. He caught the eye playing for Colombia at an Under-18 South American futsal championship in Brazil and was given a trial at Flamengo. “Leaving your country is not easy for anyone but I was motivated by that. Those of us from outside Brazil see it as the country of football,” he said. That mixture of Antioquían grit and Brazilian magic helped him recover from a serious knee injury while playing on loan in Mexico and go on to land a move to Benfica after impressing at the Club World Cup last summer.

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