Rocco Ríos Novo

Rocco Ríos Novo was born in Los Angeles but built his goalkeeping career for Argentina, joining Club Atlético Lanús's academy at the age of six and going on to win the South American U-15 Championship in 2017 and the U-17 title in 2019 with the national youth sides. His development ran through a string of loans in the United States: two seasons with Atlanta United and its reserve side, then a move to Phoenix Rising in the USL Championship that turned into the defining spell of his early career. In 2023 he started 36 matches for Phoenix Rising, made 116 saves and kept seven clean sheets, then saved two penalties in the shootout against Charleston Battery to help the club win the USL Championship, a performance that earned him the Final's MVP award and a place among the finalists for the league's Young Player of the Year. That form carried him to Inter Miami on loan from Lanús in January 2025, where he took over as first-choice goalkeeper from Óscar Ustari. Across 16 MLS appearances that season he conceded 14 goals and kept four clean sheets, numbers that underpinned his role as the starting goalkeeper when Inter Miami beat Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3-1 to win the 2025 MLS Cup. The club made the move permanent in January 2026, signing him through the 2028-29 season with a further option year attached. What began as a loan spell to replace an established number one had, within a year, turned into a long-term commitment.