Every big club has one: the goalkeeper who trains every day, travels to every away game, knows every corner of the dressing room and still spends most matchdays in a tracksuit. At Valencia, that player is Cristian Rivero. He came into the academy as a boy in 2007, and nineteen years later he is still there, wearing the number 13 shirt. His contract reportedly runs to June 2027, so the 2026/27 season matters more for him than most.
He has never been a headline name, and that is part of the story. Players rarely stay this long at one club. Rivero has, through two loans, a reserve team apprenticeship and a lot of patience.
Rivero in brief
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Cristian Rivero Sabater |
| Born | March 21, 1998, in Gandia, Valencian Community, Spain |
| Age | 28 (as of 2026) |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Height and weight | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in), about 75 kg (165 lbs) |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
| Club and shirt | Valencia CF, number 13 |
| Preferred foot | Right |
| Youth clubs | UD Portuarios, Valencia CF |
| Contract | Reportedly until June 2027 |
| FC 26 rating | 65 overall, 68 potential |
| Net worth | $1.5 million to $3 million (Icon Polls estimate) |
| Annual salary | 500,000 to 630,000 euros (reported estimate, 2025/26) |
A Gandia kid inside the Valencia system
Gandia is a coastal town about an hour down the road from Valencia, and Rivero's first club there was UD Portuarios. Valencia brought him into their academy in 2007, when he was nine or ten. He then spent roughly a decade moving up through the youth age groups. For a goalkeeper that is a long apprenticeship, but keepers tend to mature late.
His senior debut came with the reserve side, Valencia CF Mestalla, on August 20, 2017, in the Segunda Division. He soon became the B team's regular starter. That counts for more than it sounds. A reserve keeper who plays every week against grown men learns things no training session can teach.
Loans, because the bench teaches nothing
Rivero's first professional contract with the senior squad arrived in 2020. On December 16 of that year he made his Copa del Rey debut and kept a clean sheet in a 2 to 0 win over Terrassa FC. It was a tidy start, but it did not change his place in the pecking order.
So Valencia sent him out. He joined AD Alcorcon for the second half of the 2021/22 season, then spent 2024/25 on loan at Albacete. Neither spell made him a star. Both gave him what a backup needs most, which is minutes that actually count.
The moments on his record
His career list is short, but it has a few real entries:
- 2018/19: part of the Valencia squad that won the Copa del Rey.
- December 2020: professional debut in the Copa del Rey, with a clean sheet.
- May 5, 2024: La Liga debut, coming on as a substitute.
- Clubs: Valencia CF, Valencia CF Mestalla, AD Alcorcon (loan) and Albacete (loan).
Honestly, his league appearances are still very limited. That is the trade he has made: security at the club he grew up with, in exchange for long stretches of waiting.
A backup's wage at a club of bigger contracts
No official figure for Rivero's personal wealth exists. Icon Polls estimates his net worth at $1.5 million to $3 million as of 2026, based on his reported earnings over a professional career of several years.
His salary for 2025/26 is reported at around 500,000 to 630,000 euros a year, which works out to roughly 8,000 to 12,000 euros a week. For comparison, Jose Gaya, reported as Valencia's top earner, is said to take home around 5 million euros a season. Earlier in his career Rivero reportedly earned more, around 1.4 million euros a season, before signing a new deal on reduced terms. That drop is the plain economics of being a squad player rather than a guaranteed starter.
Built like a keeper
At 188 cm (about 6 ft 2 in) and around 75 kg, Rivero has the frame clubs look for in goal: good reach, and enough height to deal with crosses into a crowded box. He is right footed, which is normal for keepers at this level.
65 in FC 26, and that's about right
EA Sports FC 26 rates him 65 overall with 68 potential, along with one skill move, a three star weak foot and medium/medium work rates. Nobody will build an Ultimate Team around that card. It is a fair reading of a 28 year old backup, though. Career Mode players running a lower division side could do worse than a cheap keeper with La Liga experience.
Market value: cheap, and that cuts both ways
Estimates of his value vary a lot. As of mid 2026, valuation platforms put him somewhere between 96,000 and 435,000 euros. Football Manager 2026 lists him at around 1 million pounds, with a likely purchase price nearer 586,000 pounds.
Those low numbers reflect his age and his few first team games. They also make him an easy, low risk signing for any club that wants an experienced number two who knows Spanish football. With his deal reportedly ending in June 2027, the coming months should show whether Valencia keep him or he moves on.
Got a view on which keepers and outfield players truly belong among the greats? Have your say in our vote for the best football players of all time.
Faith and family, kept to himself
Rivero has never spoken publicly about his religious beliefs, and we won't guess. The same goes for relationships and family: he keeps his private life private, and there is no confirmed public information about his marital status. What is on record is simple. He is from Gandia, and he has spent nearly all his life at Valencia.
Three things fans ask
How old is Cristian Rivero?
He was born on March 21, 1998, so he is 28 in 2026.
Has he won a trophy?
Yes. He was part of the Valencia squad that won the 2018/19 Copa del Rey.
When does his Valencia contract end?
His current deal is reported to run until June 2027.
