Rio Cardines has signed a new Crystal Palace contract that keeps him at the club until June 2028.
The 19-year-old defender joined Palace at Under-16 level in 2022 and signed his first professional deal in July 2024.
Palace confirmed Cardines’ contract extension after a season in which the full-back moved closer to the first-team picture.
Cardines made his senior debut in the UEFA Conference League win over Dynamo Kyiv. He also featured as a substitute in the EFL Trophy victory against Liverpool at Anfield.
The Trinidad and Tobago international played regularly for Palace’s Under-21s when available last season. He scored twice and added one assist in 20 appearances.
Palace Keep Academy Full-Back On Track
Cardines’ new deal gives Palace another academy player to build around.
He has already gained senior international experience with Trinidad and Tobago. He featured at the Gold Cup, played in World Cup qualifiers and assisted twice in a 2-2 draw with Gabon during the March window.
ReadCrystalPalace previously spoke to Cardines about the club’s project after he committed his future to Palace.
Academy director Gary Issott praised his progress after the deal was announced. Cardines has moved through the academy, earned first-team exposure and continued to contribute for the Under-21s.
The next step is turning that promise into more senior minutes. Palace have now given him the contract security to keep pushing towards that target.
