Ricardo Rivera
{{short description|Puerto Rican association football player}}
{{for|the Argentine tennis player|Ricardo Rivera (tennis)}}
{{family name hatnote|Rivera|de León|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Ricardo Rivera
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| fullname = Ricardo Emmanuel Rivera de León
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|4|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = San Juan, Puerto Rico
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}
| position = Forward
| currentclub = Miami FC
| clubnumber = 17
| youthyears1 = 2004–2015
| youthclubs1 = Atlético de San Juan
| youthyears2 = 2015–2016
| youthclubs2 = Racing Algemesí CF
| collegeyears1 = 2016–2018
| college1 = UPR Mayagüez
| years1 = 2018–2021
| clubs1 = Vilamarxant CF
| caps1 = 72
| goals1 = 13
| years2 = 2021–2022
| clubs2 = Union Omaha
| caps2 = 20
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 2022–2023
| clubs3 = Buñol
| caps3 = 0
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2024
| clubs4 = O&M FC
| caps4 = 29
| goals4 = 5
| years5 = 2025–
| clubs5 = Miami FC
| caps5 = 0
| goals5 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2012
| nationalteam1 = Puerto Rico U17
| nationalcaps1 = 3
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2016
| nationalteam2 = Puerto Rico U20
| nationalcaps2 = 3
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2019
| nationalteam3 = Puerto Rico U23
| nationalcaps3 = 3
| nationalgoals3 = 2
| nationalyears4 = 2016–
| nationalteam4 = Puerto Rico
| nationalcaps4 = 32
| nationalgoals4 = 18
| club-update = 30 January 2025
| ntupdate = 21 November 2023
}}
Ricardo Emmanuel Rivera de León (born 17 April 1997) is a Puerto Rican footballer who plays as a forward for USL Championship club Miami FC, and for the Puerto Rico national team.
Career
=Youth and college=
Rivera played most of his youth career at Club Atlético de San Juan, before moving to Valencia in 2015, where he played one year at Racing Algemesí. From 2016 to 2018, he played college soccer at UPR Mayagüez, where he won the championship twice, and earned awards including MVP and top goalscorer.{{cite web|author=Time/Results |url=https://futbolboricua.co/caampeones-los-tarzanes-de-la-uprm/ |title=CAAMpeones los Tarzanes de la UPRM | FutbolBoricua.net |publisher=Futbolboricua.co |date= |access-date=23 March 2019}}
=Senior career=
In 2018, Rivera tried out and signed with Villamarxant CF of the Tercera División.{{cite web|url=https://www.quepalo.com/ricky-5859/|title=Ricky, un Tarzán a la conquista de España|website=¡Que Palo! Deportes}}
Rivera signed with USL Championship club Miami FC in January 2025.{{cite web |title=Miami FC Signs Puerto Rican International Ricardo Rivera |url=https://www.miamifc.com/news/2025/01/30/miami-fc-signs-puerto-rican-international-ricardo-rivera/ |website=MiamiFC.com |publisher=Miami FC |access-date=30 January 2025}}
=International=
Rivera was called up to the Puerto Rico national under-17 team under manager Jeaustin Campos in 2012, for the FIFA U17 World Cup Qualifiers. In 2016 he played for the Puerto Rico national under-20 team.{{Cite web |url=http://noticias.elhuracanazulpr.com/2016/06/le-llega-el-turno-la-sub20-rumbo-la.html/ |title=Noticias: Le llega el turno a la Sub20 rumbo a la Copa Mundial |access-date=2019-01-24 |archive-date=2020-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921154337/http://noticias.elhuracanazulpr.com/2016/06/le-llega-el-turno-la-sub20-rumbo-la.html |url-status=dead }} In the same year, he was called up, and made his debut for the senior national team, for friendly matches against the Dominican Republic.{{cite web|author=Time/Results |url=https://futbolboricua.co/a-escena-el-clasico-caribeno-en-bayamon-nuestraselepr-vs-republica-dominicana/ |title=A Escena El Clásico Caribeño En Bayamón: #Nuestraselepr Vs. República Dominicana | Futbolboricua.Net |publisher=Futbolboricua.co |date= |accessdate=23 March 2019}} In July 2019, he was called up to the Puerto Rico national under-23 team, for the 2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament. He scored the winning goal in the 93' minute in his debut against Antigua and Barbuda.{{Cite web|url=http://noticias.elhuracanazulpr.com/2019/07/primera-victoria-de-la-seleccion.html|title=Primera victoria de la Selección Olímpica en 12 años}}
Rivera concluded the 2022 World Cup qualifiers as the team’s leader in goals, with four.{{Cite web|url=https://futbolboricua.co/termina-con-victoria-puerto-rico-la-clasificacion-al-mundial-catar-2022/|title=Termina con victoria Puerto Rico la clasificación al mundial Catar 2022 | FutbolBoricua.net}} Puerto Rico finished this stage second in their group, but only Saint Kitts and Nevis advanced.
Career statistics
=International goals=
{{updated|match played 21 November 2023.}}
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Ricardo Rivera |
| scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition |
|---|
| 1
| 28 March 2021 || Estadio Centroamericano, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico || {{fb|TRI}} || align=center | 1–1 || align=center | 1–1 || rowspan=4|2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2
| rowspan=2|2 June 2021 || rowspan=2|Estadio Centroamericano, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico || rowspan=2|{{fb|BAH}} || align=center | 2–0 || rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |7–0 |
| 3
| align=center | 4–0 |
| 4
| 8 June 2021 || Georgetown Football Stadium, Georgetown, Guyana || {{fb|GUY}} || align=center | 1–0 || align=center | 2–0 |
| 5
| rowspan=4|12 June 2022 || rowspan=4|Estadio Centroamericano, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico || rowspan=4|{{fb|VGB}} || align=center | 2–0 || rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;" |6–0 || rowspan=6|2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League C |
| 6
| align=center | 4–0 |
| 7
| align=center | 5–0 |
| 8
| align=center | 6–0 |
| 9
| rowspan=2|26 March 2023 || rowspan=2|Mayagüez Athletics Stadium, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico || rowspan=2|{{fb|CAY}} || align=center | 1–0 || rowspan=2 align=center | 5–1 |
| 10
| align=center | 3–0 |
| 11
| 9 September 2023 || Thomas Robinson Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas || {{fb|BAH}} || align=center | 2–1 || align=center | 6–1 || rowspan=6|2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League B |
| 12
| rowspan=2|12 September 2023 || rowspan=2|Mayagüez Athletics Stadium, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico || rowspan=2|{{fb|ATG}} || align=center | 2–0 || rowspan=2 align=center | 5–0 |
| 13
| align=center| 3–0 |
| 14
| rowspan=3|21 November 2023 || rowspan=3|Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, Bayamón, Puerto Rico || rowspan=3|{{fb|BAH}} || align=center | 1–0 || rowspan=3 align=center | 6–0 |
| 15
| align=center| 2–0 |
| 16
| align=center| 3–0 |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Miami FC squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rivera, Ricardo}}
Category:Puerto Rican men's footballers
Category:Puerto Rico men's international footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:USL League One players
Category:Footballers from San Juan, Puerto Rico
Category:21st-century American sportsmen
Category:Puerto Rican expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
Category:Puerto Rican expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Dominican Republic
Category:Puerto Rican expatriate sportspeople in the Dominican Republic
Category:University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez people