The consolidation of Richard Ríos at Benfica has multiplied his market expectations, predicting that the club could receive double what was invested in his signing, as Mozart Santos Batista Júnior highlighted to the media. Oh Jogo.
After his first season in Portugal, the Colombian footballer not only managed to establish himself as a regular player, but also to position himself in midfield. Box to box most valued internationally, with an eye on a possible price jump after the 2026 World Cup.
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However, The former Palmeiras’ numbers mark an important contrast to the performances at the start of the season in both the Primeira Liga and the Champions Leaguewhere his positioning errors and decision-making were questioned by a section of the Lisbon club’s fans; which is why his membership in the Colombian team has been questioned since the final games of the World Cup qualification.
Nevertheless, Santos Batista – who coached Ríos at Guaraní de São Paulo between 2022 and 2023 – underlined the dimension of Benfica’s bet. “Richard Ríos is worth every euro Benfica paid. He is one of the best 8 in the world.”explained Mozart, highlighting his development after his time in Flamengo, Mazatlán and Palmeiras. The trainer himself was of the opinion that the Lisbon company was aware that its investment could be significantly multiplied and ventured the prediction: “Benfica will receive offers of at least double what they invested“.
A few days ago, Benfica’s own coach José Mourinho expressed his full confidence in the 25-year-old player’s performance and even made him a key pillar of his plan.
“They have taken a lot of hits and demonstrated the mental ability to handle a lot of criticism and insulting comments. That is the crucial point“Mourinho stressed at a press conference the importance of giving him a tactical context that will allow him to reach his full potential and become the protagonist of the game.
“Ríos must have a very wide range of actions. Restricting it means taking away one of its strengths. Saying you can’t go here or there is complicated. What we need to do is say that if I go there or there, someone has to do this“, he justified.
The influence of the Colombians on the Águilas is evident in their statistics: by numbers of BeSoccer Pro, Ríos has won 249 individual duels in 28 games, leading the team records in both ground duels and offensive battles. He is the second-largest player with the most interceptions (99) and defensive duels won (120) and is also third in recoveries after losses (97). His performance makes him the fourth player with the most minutes played in the squad (2,307 minutes), only surpassed by Aursnes, Otamendi and Dahl.
In the offensive area, Ríos stands out with three goals and two assists and is fourth in the team’s top scorers list. The trust built with Mourinho appears to be crucial to Ríos’ improvement in recent weeks, putting behind the initial doubts raised by his €30m signing. The Portuguese coach himself has made it his goal since his arrival to strengthen Ríos’ strengths and minimize his weaknesses, a goal that seems to be gradually coming true in the more than three months he has been in charge.
While Richard Ríos awaits the last game of the year, in which Benfica will face Sporting Braga, he aims to consolidate himself in Europe over the next six months and continue his development with the Colombian national team in the face of the next big international challenge: the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
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