Rodrigo Riquelme Took the Long Road to Betis. Year Two Decides What He's Worth (2026)

Most academy players who join Atletico Madrid at 10 never wear the first team shirt. Rodrigo Riquelme did, and then he left anyway. In July 2025 he swapped Madrid for Seville, trading a bench role at a title contender for the promise of real minutes at Real Betis. One season in, the jury is still out. That makes the 2026/2027 campaign the most important of his career so far.

He's 26 now. That's no longer a prospect's age. It's the age where a winger either becomes a reliable starter or settles into being a useful squad option, and Riquelme is standing right on that line.

Roro at a glance

A decade in red and white

Riquelme's football education started at Real Zaragoza and Rayo Vallecano before Atletico brought him into their academy at 10. From there it was a slow climb. Atletico are not a club that hands minutes to young attackers easily, and Riquelme had to leave several times before he was trusted at home.

He's a right footer who lives on the left touchline. The idea is simple and still effective: pick up the ball wide, cut inside onto the stronger foot, and either shoot or slip a pass through. He's quick, he takes risks in the final third, and he can drift into the number 10 role when a coach wants more creativity through the middle.

Three loans, one breakthrough

The loan circuit took him to three very different places:

• Bournemouth, his first taste of English football.
• Mirandes in the Spanish second division, where everything clicked in 2021/2022.
• Girona in La Liga for 2022/2023, which proved he could carry that form into the top flight.

Mirandes is the one people remember. Eight goals and 12 assists in a single second division season is the kind of output that makes a parent club pay attention, and Atletico did. He also represented Spain at the 2023 European Under 21 Championship, another sign the federation saw something in him.

Back at Atletico in 2023/2024 he became a regular part of the rotation, finishing with 4 goals and 5 assists across all competitions. One of those goals came against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey, which is about as good a way to win over the Atletico crowd as exists.

What changed in Seville

Here's the honest part. His first Betis season was quiet. In 2025/2026 he appeared in 25 La Liga matches but started only 7, playing 810 minutes in total. He scored 1 goal, provided 1 assist and picked up 2 yellow cards.

Those numbers don't match the reason he moved. He left Atletico to play more, and he mostly came off the bench. To be fair, impact substitutes rarely post big totals, and his creative involvement in short spells was noticeable. But a contract running to 2030 suggests Betis see him as more than a late game option. Year two is where he has to show it.

The money: our estimates

No official salary figures have been published, so treat everything in this section as an estimate. Reported figures put his Betis wage at around 60,000 euros per week, roughly 3.1 million euros a year before tax. That's a big jump from his Atletico days, when his pay was reported to be closer to 10,000 pounds per week.

Icon Polls estimates Rodrigo Riquelme's net worth at $5 million to $7 million in 2026. That figure accounts for career earnings to date and possible sponsorship income, minus the usual assumptions about tax and spending. If the reported Betis salary is accurate, the next few years should push that number up steadily.

Half a player, and a clause

The structure of his transfer is unusual. Because he came through the Atletico academy, he never cost anyone a fee until 2025. When Betis signed him permanently that July, the reported price was about 8 million euros for half of his economic rights. Atletico kept the other half, along with a sell on clause.

In plain terms: if Betis sell him later, Atletico still profit. Current market value estimates range from 4 million to 8 million euros depending on the source, and our view is that the middle of that range is the fairest read. A strong second season and more Spain caps could change that quickly. Another season mostly on the bench probably won't.

The family behind him

Riquelme's father has never been publicly named, but his story is part of Rodrigo's. He battled a serious illness for a long period, and the family went through difficult years because of it. He recovered, and Rodrigo marked it with an emotional Instagram post praising his father's willpower. His dad was also there for his presentation at Bournemouth, a small detail that says a lot about how closely the family has followed his career.

His mother, Yolanda Reche, is a personal trainer and fitness coach, often described as the anchor of the household. Rodrigo has credited both parents for getting him where he is.

Then there's his older brother, Alejandro Riquelme. He also played in the Atletico youth system alongside Rodrigo, but his path went a different way. Alejandro studied Business at Schiller University, earned a master's in Sports Management and now works as a sports coach, following their mother into the profession. The two remain close and regularly back each other on social media.

As for romance, Riquelme keeps his private life private. There's no confirmed information about a wife or partner, and he doesn't share that side of his life publicly.

Think Roro could one day belong in the conversation with the game's elite? Start by settling the bigger argument: vote for the best football players of all time on Icon Polls.

Short answers

Is Rodrigo Riquelme left footed?

No. He's right footed but plays mainly on the left wing, cutting inside onto his stronger foot.

Does Atletico Madrid still own part of him?

Yes. Betis reportedly bought 50 percent of his rights in 2025, with Atletico keeping the rest plus a sell on clause.

What was his best season?

His 2021/2022 loan at Mirandes, where he recorded 8 goals and 12 assists in the Spanish second division.