Rio Cardines

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Rio Cardines
Cardines in 2025
Personal information
Full name Rio Solomon Cardines[1]
Date of birth (2006-07-01) 1 July 2006 (age 19)
Place of birth Stevenage, England[2]
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[3]
Position(s) Right-back/right wing-back
Team information
Current team
 Crystal Palace
Number 59
Youth career
2016–2022 Stevenage
2022– Crystal Palace
International career‡
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023 Trinidad and Tobago U17 3 (1)
2024 Trinidad and Tobago U20 3 (1)
2025– Trinidad and Tobago 2 (0)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 14:37, 29 May 2025 (UTC)

Rio Solomon Cardines (born 1 July 2006) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back or right wing-back for Premier League club Crystal Palace. Born in England, he plays for the Trinidad and Tobago national team.

Club career

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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 the academy at Stevenage. 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.[4] He helped the Crystal Palace U21s win the 2023–24 Premier League International Cup.[5] On 3 July 2024, he signed his first professional contract with Crystal Palace.[6] He played for the Palace U21s in a 1–0 EFL Trophy loss to Stevenage on 20 August 2024.[7] Cardines first competitive involvement with the first-team was as an unused substitute in the 2025 FA Community Shield in August 2025.[8]

International career

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Born in England, Cardines is of Trinidadian descent through his paternal grandparents.[2] A dual-citizen, he gained Trinidadian citizenship on 10 February 2023.[9] He was part of the Trinidad and Tobago U17s that played at the 2023 CONCACAF U-17 Championship.[10] In 2024, he was called up to the Trinidad and Tobago U20s for a set of 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship qualifying matches.[9]

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.[11] He was formally called up to the senior Trinidad and Tobago national team for the 2025 Unity Cup.[12] He debuted in that tournament in a 3–2 loss to Jamaica on 27 May 2025.[13]

Honours

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Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace U21

References

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  1. ^ "2024/25 Premier League squad lists". www.premierleague.com.
  2. ^ a b Media, TTFA (10 February 2023). "CARDINES GETS T&T PASSPORT".
  3. ^ "Rio Cardines Crystal Palace U21 Midfielder, Profile & Stats | Premier League". www.premierleague.com.
  4. ^ Metcalfe, Neil (22 June 2021). "Stevenage Borough Juniors crowned national champions after tense victory". The Comet. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  5. ^ a b Smith, Dom (16 May 2024). "Crystal Palace Under-21s crowned Premier League International Cup champions". The Standard.
  6. ^ "Rio Cardines signs professional contract with Crystal Palace". Soca Warriors Online - Trinidad and Tobago Football. 24 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Stevenage vs Crystal Palace U21: EFL Trophy". BBC Sport.
  8. ^ "Crystal Palace vs Liverpool LIVE: Community Shield score, lineups, radio & updates". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Cardines bags goal and assists for Trinidad and Tobago U20s - News". Crystal Palace F.C. 27 February 2024.
  10. ^ "COOPER NAMES 20-MAN SQUAD FOR CONCACAF U-17S". thettfa.com. Trinidad & Tobago Football Association. 5 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  11. ^ "2023 Concacaf Gold Cup preliminary rosters announced". Gold Cup. 1 June 2023.
  12. ^ "Yorke names Cardines, 'Bongo' and Bateau in 24-man team for Unity Cup". 24 May 2025.
  13. ^ Liburd, Lasana (27 May 2025). "Molino and 'Bongo' net; but Jamaica hold off T&T 3-2 in Unity Cup".
  14. ^ "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". BBC Sport. 10 August 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
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