{{Short description|Trinidadian footballer (born 2006)}} {{Use British English|date=March 2026}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Rio Cardines |image = Rio Cardines 2025 (cropped).jpg |caption = Cardines with Crystal Palace in 2025 |full_name = Rio Solomon Cardines<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/4110099|title=2024/25 Premier League squad lists|website=www.premierleague.com}}</ref> |birth_date = {{birth date and age|2006|07|01|df=y}} |birth_place = Stevenage, England<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://thettfa.com/news/cardines-gets-tt-passport/|title=CARDINES GETS T&T PASSPORT|first=TTFA|last=Media|date=10 February 2023}}</ref> |height = 1.75 m<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/127826/Rio-Cardines/overview|title=Rio Cardines Crystal Palace U21 Midfielder, Profile & Stats | Premier League|website=www.premierleague.com}}</ref> |position = Right-back/right wing-back |currentclub = Crystal Palace |clubnumber = 59 |youthyears1 = {{0|000}}–2022 |youthclubs1 = Stevenage Borough Juniors |youthyears2 = 2022–2025 |youthclubs2 = Crystal Palace |years1 = 2025– |clubs1 = Crystal Palace |caps1 = 1 |goals1 = 0 |nationalyears1 = 2023 |nationalteam1 = Trinidad and Tobago U17 |nationalcaps1 = 3 |nationalgoals1 = 1 |nationalyears2 = 2024 |nationalteam2 = Trinidad and Tobago U20 |nationalcaps2 = 3 |nationalgoals2 = 1 |nationalyears3 = 2025– |nationalteam3 = Trinidad and Tobago |nationalcaps3 = 11 |nationalgoals3 = 0 |pcupdate = 18:01, 24 May 2026 (UTC) |ntupdate = 06:13, 30 March 2026 (UTC) }}
'''Rio Solomon Cardines''' (born 1 July 2006) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back or right wing-back for {{English football updater|CrystalP}} club Crystal Palace. Born in England, he plays for the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
==Club career== Cardines is a quick athletic defender who was a youth product of the successful London Colney Colts under-12 and under-15 teams based in St Albans. He went on to join Stevenage Borough Juniors.<ref name="e547">{{cite web | last=Metcalfe | first=Neil | title=Stevenage Borough Juniors crowned national champions after tense victory | website=The Comet | date=2021-06-22 | url=https://www.thecomet.net/sport/22334204.stevenage-borough-juniors-crowned-national-champions-tense-victory/ | access-date=2025-05-29}}</ref> Cardines joined the youth academy of Crystal Palace at under-16 level in 2022. He was part of the team who won a pre-season tournament against Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Dundee United in August 2022. Though he has played predominantly as a right-back, Cardines has also slotted in anywhere across the defence if required and has also played on the wing. Cardines made his first start for the Under-18s side against Norwich City in November 2022 and managed to get on the scoresheet in a 2-2 draw. His performances for the young Eagles saw him earn a call-up in January 2023, to Trinidad and Tobago's Under-17s team for their participation in the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship. He helped the Crystal Palace U21s win the 2023–24 Premier League International Cup.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/crystal-palace-premier-league-international-cup-champions-b1158067.html|title=Crystal Palace Under-21s crowned Premier League International Cup champions|first=Dom|last=Smith|date=16 May 2024|website=The Standard}}</ref> On 3 July 2024, he signed his first professional contract with Crystal Palace.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.socawarriors.net/foreign-based-news/25618-rio-cardines-signs-professional-contract-with-crystal-palace.html|title=Rio Cardines signs professional contract with Crystal Palace|date=24 April 2025|website=Soca Warriors Online - Trinidad and Tobago Football}}</ref> He played for the Palace U21s in a 1–0 EFL Trophy loss to Stevenage on 20 August 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cewlg9729kxt|title=Stevenage vs Crystal Palace U21: EFL Trophy|website=BBC Sport}}</ref> Cardines first competitive involvement with the first-team was as an unused substitute in the 2025 FA Community Shield in August 2025,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Crystal Palace vs Liverpool LIVE: Community Shield score, lineups, radio & updates |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cy7y0p1p7ezt |access-date=2025-08-11 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref> with his first appearance occurring two months later when he came on as a late substitute in an away match against Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Conference League.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walcott |first=Roneil |date=2025-10-03 |title='Dreams turn to reality' as Rio Cardines makes Crystal Palace debut |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2025/10/03/dreams-turn-to-reality-as-rio-cardines-makes-crystal-palace-debut/ |access-date=2025-10-06 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |language=en-US}}</ref>
==International career== He can represent England, his country of birth, as well as the Trinidad and Tobago or Venezuela through his parents.<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mora |first=Carlos |title=¡Era elegible por la Vinotinto! Talento de la Premier League se va con Trinidad y Tobago |url=https://meridiano.net/futbol/la-vinotinto/era-elegible-por-la-vinotinto-talento-de-la-premier-league-se-va-con-trinidad-y-tobago-202632712180 |access-date=2026-03-28 |website=Meridiano.net |language=es}}</ref> A dual-citizen, he gained Trinidadian citizenship on February 10th 2023.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/announcement/rio-cardines-trinidad-and-tobago-u20-concacaf-qualifiers-call-up/|title=Cardines bags goal and assists for Trinidad and Tobago U20s - News|date=27 February 2024|website=Crystal Palace F.C.}}</ref> He was part of the Trinidad and Tobago U17s that played at the 2023 CONCACAF U-17 Championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thettfa.com/news/cooper-names-20-man-squad-for-concacaf-u-17s/|title=COOPER NAMES 20-MAN SQUAD FOR CONCACAF U-17S|website=thettfa.com|publisher=Trinidad & Tobago Football Association|access-date=February 5, 2023|date=February 5, 2023}}</ref> In 2024, he was called up to the Trinidad and Tobago U20s for a set of 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship qualifying matches.<ref name="auto"/>
On 1 July 2023, Cardines was part of the preliminary 60-man squad for the senior Trinidad and Tobago national team for the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.concacaf.com/gold-cup/article/2023-concacaf-gold-cup-preliminary-rosters-announced/|title=2023 Concacaf Gold Cup preliminary rosters announced|date=1 June 2023|website=Gold Cup}}</ref> He was formally called up to the senior Trinidad and Tobago national team for the 2025 Unity Cup.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wired868.com/2025/05/24/yorke-names-cardines-bongo-and-bateau-in-24-man-team-for-unity-cup/|title=Yorke names Cardines, ‘Bongo’ and Bateau in 24-man team for Unity Cup|date=24 May 2025}}</ref> He debuted in that tournament in a 3–2 loss to Jamaica on 27 May 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wired868.com/2025/05/27/molino-and-bongo-net-but-jamaica-hold-off-tt-3-2-in-unity-cup/|title=Molino and ‘Bongo’ net; but Jamaica hold off T&T 3-2 in Unity Cup|first=Lasana|last=Liburd|date=27 May 2025}}</ref>
== Career statistics ==
=== Club === {{updated|match played 24 May 2026}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|EFL Cup !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |Crystal Palace U21 |2024–25<ref name="Soccerbase2425"/> |colspan="3"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||1{{efn|Appearance in EFL Trophy}}||0||1||0 |- |Crystal Palace |2025–26<ref name="Soccerbase2526">{{Soccerbase season|id=178122|season=2025|access-date=6 October 2025}}</ref> |Premier League |1||0||0||0||1||0||1{{efn|Appearance in UEFA Conference League}}||0||0||0||3||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !1!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0!!1!!0!!1!!0!!4!!0 |} {{notelist}}
===International=== {{updated|match played 30 March 2026}}
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref name="Soccerbase2425">{{Soccerbase season|id=178122|season=2024|access-date=6 October 2025}}</ref><ref name="Soccerbase2526" /> |- !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="2"|Trinidad and Tobago |2025||9||0 |- |2026||2||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total!!11!!0 |}
==Honours== '''Crystal Palace''' *FA Community Shield: 2025<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cy7y0p1p7ezt#Report|title=FA Cup holders Crystal Palace beat Premier League champions Liverpool 3-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to win an enthralling Community Shield at Wembley.|website=BBC Sport|date=10 August 2025|access-date=10 August 2025}}</ref> *UEFA Conference League: 2025–26<ref>{{Cite web |last=McKenna |first=Chris |date=27 May 2026 |title=Crystal Palace 1–0 Rayo Vallecano |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/clypgp9wrp9t#Report |access-date=27 May 2026 |website=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC}}</ref>
'''Crystal Palace U21''' *Premier League International Cup: 2023–24<ref name="auto2"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Soccerway|rio-cardines/858914}}
{{Crystal Palace F.C. squad}} {{Trinidad and Tobago squad 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardines, Rio}} Category:2006 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Stevenage Category:English men's footballers Category:Trinidad and Tobago men's footballers Category:Trinidad and Tobago men's international footballers Category:Trinidad and Tobago men's youth international footballers Category:English people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Category:English people of Venezuelan descent Category:Trinidad and Tobago people of English descent Category:Trinidad and Tobago people of Venezuelan descent Category:Sportspeople of Venezuelan descent Category:Sportspeople of Trinidad and Tobago descent Category:Men's association football full-backs Category:Crystal Palace F.C. players Category:21st-century Trinidad and Tobago sportsmen Category:21st-century English sportsmen Category:2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup players Category:UEFA Conference League–winning players