Richard Rios gives Al-Ittihad FC a midfield option with bite

Richard Rios arrives at Al-Ittihad FC as a midfielder with a clear strength in physical contests. His 2025 Primeira Liga record included 178 duels won and 50 tackles. The loan gives Al-Ittihad FC a player who can add defensive work, ball-winning and some attacking output to the middle of the pitch.

Richard Rios is moving from Benfica to Al-Ittihad FC on loan. The deal is dated 1 September 2026. It is a temporary move rather than a free-agent signing or a return from loan. The transfer places Rios in a new squad after a substantial season of work in Portugal.

The move follows a 2025 Primeira Liga campaign in which Rios played 27 matches and started all 27. He logged 2,279 minutes for Benfica in that competition. His 2026 record at Benfica is much shorter, with two Primeira Liga appearances and 37 minutes, alongside three UEFA Europa League appearances. The deal therefore changes his setting at a point when his most useful evidence comes from the previous full league season.

Rios is 26 and plays in midfield. He was born in Vegachí. He is listed at 185 centimetres and 74 kilograms. Those details describe a substantial midfield profile, but the stronger guide to his role is his match record: Rios combined regular selection with work in tackles and duels during the 2025 Primeira Liga season.

His recent path in the supplied record is centred on Benfica. Rios made 27 Primeira Liga appearances for the club in 2025 and started each match. He also appeared in the 2025 Super Cup and Taça da Liga, before making appearances in the 2026 Primeira Liga and UEFA Europa League. The record points to a midfielder trusted across league and cup settings, with the clearest sample coming from his 2025 league work.

Rios’ 2025 Primeira Liga season is the main body of evidence. He scored five goals and made four assists. He also attempted 46 shots and produced 21 key passes. That gives Al-Ittihad FC more than a purely defensive midfielder, even though his clearest statistical edge comes away from the final action.

The defensive side is stronger still. Rios won 178 duels and made 50 tackles in the 2025 Primeira Liga. In the peer context for that season, his duel total sat in the 97th percentile and his tackle total in the 88th percentile among the recorded midfield population. The 2026 Primeira Liga sample is small, with 37 minutes across two appearances. He also made three UEFA Europa League appearances and two Taça da Liga appearances in the supplied record, but the 2025 league season remains the reliable measure.

The available numbers make the clearest case for the type of midfielder Rios can provide. He is a player with a substantial recent workload, regular starts and strong defensive involvement. In 2025, his 2,279 Primeira Liga minutes came with 27 starts. That is evidence of sustained use rather than a short burst of appearances.

The move should therefore be read as adding a ball-winning option to Al-Ittihad FC’s midfield. Rios’ five goals and four assists show some attacking contribution, but the standout numbers are the 178 duels won and 50 tackles. The data does not establish a specific numerical shortage in Al-Ittihad FC’s midfield. It does show that the club is receiving a player whose profile is built around defensive activity, physical contests and the ability to handle a full league workload.

Rios will enter Al-Ittihad FC’s midfield group with a clear internal benchmark from Benfica. He has already shown that he can carry a large league workload, starting 27 times in the 2025 Primeira Liga. That gives his new club a basis for using him in a regular midfield role rather than treating the loan as a limited cameo.

The competition for minutes should also test what Al-Ittihad FC wants most from the position. Rios’ attacking record is useful, but his peer figures are strongest for duels and tackles. His 2025 average rating was 7.07, while his 2026 Primeira Liga sample is only 37 minutes. The longer sample points towards a midfielder who earns value through repeated work, not one isolated contribution.

Expectation: Rios should give Al-Ittihad FC a midfielder able to combine defensive effort with measured attacking output. The evidence for that expectation is the 2025 Primeira Liga season, where he produced goals and assists while also ranking strongly for duels and tackles. The reading would change if his role is judged only on the short 2026 sample, because 37 minutes are not enough to match the weight of the previous campaign.

Three things will show whether the move is using Rios’ strongest qualities:

• Minutes: whether Rios can build another substantial workload after 2,279 Primeira Liga minutes in 2025.
• Duels won: whether his 178-win level remains central to his midfield contribution.
• Tackles: whether his 50 tackles from the 2025 Primeira Liga can be reflected in his new role.