Al-Ittihad loaned the Colombia midfielder from Benfica

Benfica have officially announced an agreement with Al Ittihad for the loan of Richard Rios. The Colombian midfielder will play for the Saudi club for one season until the end of the 2026/27 campaign. Rios joined Benfica in the summer of 2025, moving to Lisbon from Palmeiras in Brazil. In his first season with the Portuguese giants, the 26-year-old made 45 official appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing six assists. In the 2025/26 Portuguese Championship, Rios played 27 matches and spent 2,283 minutes on the field. He has five goals and four assists. In the Champions League, the midfielder took part in 12 matches, including qualifying matches and the main stage of the tournament. In total, he played 983 minutes and recorded one goal and one assist. Rios played six more matches in other domestic tournaments. His performances in the Portuguese Cup were particularly effective for him, where he scored twice. At the start of the 2026/27 season, the Colombian managed to play six more official matches for Benfica: four in the Europa League qualifiers and two in the Portuguese championship. Thus, in total during the period in Benfica, Rios played 51 official matches. At the international level, the football player represents the Colombian national team.