Yuri Oliveira Ribeiro (born 24 January 1997) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left-back or wing-back for EFL Championship club Blackburn Rovers.
Born in Switzerland to Portuguese migrant parents, Ribeiro moved to Vieira do Minho, Braga District at the age of two.[3] He started playing football at Escola Os Craques, joined S.C. Braga's academy four years later and, at the age of 13, signed for S.L. Benfica, where he went on to finish his development and win the 2013 national championship.[4]
Ribeiro made his senior debut for Benfica's reserves on 29 May 2015, starting in a 2–1 home win over Vitória S.C. B in the Segunda Liga.[5] He started the following season as a backup to Pedro Rebocho but was called to action when the latter injured himself at Varzim SC.[6]
Ribeiro first appeared in official matches with the first team on 14 December 2016, playing the entire 3–0 away victory over Real S.C. in the round of 16 of the Taça de Portugal.[7][8] On 3 January 2017, he also started against F.C. Vizela in the Taça da Liga (4–0 win at the Estádio da Luz in the group stage).[9]
On 30 June 2017, Ribeiro joined Rio Ave F.C. on a season-long loan deal.[10][11] His maiden appearance in the Primeira Liga took place on 7 August, in a 1–0 home defeat of C.F. Os Belenenses.[12][13] He totalled 29 games in his year in Vila do Conde, and scored a first career goal in a 2–0 home win over Boavista F.C. the following 21 January.[14]
Ribeiro returned to Benfica for the 2018–19 campaign, extending his contract with the club for an additional five years.[15] On 14 February 2019, he made his European debut as they beat Galatasaray SK 2–1 in the first leg of the round of 32 of the UEFA Europa League, their first-ever victory in Turkey.[16]
On 8 July 2019, Ribeiro joined English side Nottingham Forest on a permanent deal, along with Benfica teammate Alfa Semedo who also moved to the City Ground but on a season-long loan.[17] He made his debut on 13 August in the first round of the EFL Cup, playing the full 90 minutes of a 3–0 home win over Fleetwood Town, and went on to make the starting position his own ahead of Jack Robinson.[18]
Ribeiro scored his first goal for the club on 15 December 2020, in a 2–0 victory against Sheffield Wednesday.[19] He was released the following June.[20]
On 23 August 2021, Ribeiro signed a three-year contract with Legia Warsaw.[21] He was released at the end of 2023–24.[22]
On 23 August 2024, Ribeiro returned to Braga 12 years after leaving, agreeing to a two-year deal.[23] He took part in 15 games during his short spell, leaving as a free agent.[24]
Ribeiro returned to the EFL Championship on 3 February 2025, on a four-month contact at Blackburn Rovers.[25][26] Two months later, he agreed to an extension until June 2027.[27]
Ribeiro represented Portugal in the 2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, helping his team reach the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual winners England.[28] On 7 July 2016, he was selected by the under-19 side for that year's European Championship in Germany.[29]
On 2 September 2016, Ribeiro won his first cap for the under-21s at 19, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 0–0 home draw with Israel in the 2017 European Championship qualifiers.[30]
Ribeiro was named after Youri Djorkaeff after his parents saw the French international play.[3] His father was a goalkeeper, and his older brother, Romeu, also played for Benfica and Portugal at youth level.[31]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Benfica B | 2014–15 | Segunda Liga | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | LigaPro | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | LigaPro | 30 | 0 | — | — | — | 30 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 47 | 0 | — | — | — | 47 | 0 | |||||
| Benfica | 2016–17 | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018–19 | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Rio Ave (loan) | 2017–18 | Primeira Liga | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 29 | 1 | |
| Nottingham Forest | 2019–20 | Championship | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 31 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | Championship | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 26 | 1 | ||
| Total | 52 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 57 | 1 | |||
| Legia Warsaw | 2021–22 | Ekstraklasa | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 3[a] | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | Ekstraklasa | 24 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 1 | |||
| 2023–24 | Ekstraklasa | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 11[b] | 2 | 38 | 2 | ||
| Total | 63 | 1 | 8 | 0 | — | 14 | 2 | 85 | 3 | |||
| Legia Warsaw II | 2021–22 | III liga | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Braga | 2024–25 | Primeira Liga | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2024–25 | Championship | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| 2025–26 | Championship | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 219 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 265 | 5 | ||
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