Last Updated on September 28, 2026 by Wilson
Riley James Dalgado is an American professional soccer player who plays as a left-back for the LA Galaxy. Born on August 13, 2006, Dalgado developed through the Galaxy academy before progressing to Ventura County FC and eventually signing a Homegrown contract with the club he had supported and represented throughout his youth career.
Family has been central to Dalgado’s football story. He is the son of Ronnie Dalgado and Jeanette Moniz Dalgado, both of whom have roots in Goa, India, and he grew up alongside an older sister named Chelsea. His father has documented Riley’s development from youth soccer to the United States national-team system, providing an unusually detailed picture of the family behind the young Galaxy defender.
Who Is Riley Dalgado’s Girlfriend?
As of now, Riley Dalgado has not publicly confirmed having a girlfriend through reliable football media, an official LA Galaxy interview or another authoritative public source.
Dalgado has increasingly appeared in interviews as his professional career has developed, but those conversations have largely focused on soccer, his Indian-American heritage and his ambitions with the LA Galaxy and United States youth national teams.
There is therefore no reliable basis for identifying a particular person as his girlfriend. Social-media interactions or unofficial fan accounts should not be treated as confirmation of a romantic relationship unless Dalgado chooses to make that information public himself.
Does Riley Dalgado Have Children?
There is no reliable public information indicating that Riley Dalgado has children.
The young defender remains at an early stage of his professional career, and neither his own interviews nor authoritative profiles about his family mention him being a father.
As of now, no son or daughter has been publicly confirmed.
Who Are Riley Dalgado’s Parents?
Riley Dalgado is the son of Ronnie Dalgado and Jeanette Moniz Dalgado. Both parents have strong connections to Goa, India, although their own journeys eventually took them through Mumbai and later to the United States.
Riley’s parents have been closely involved in his football development. Ronnie has written publicly about traveling internationally to watch his son represent the United States and has repeatedly expressed pride in Riley’s progression from local youth soccer to the professional level.
Riley Dalgado’s Father: Ronnie Dalgado
Riley Dalgado’s father is Ronnie Dalgado. Ronnie was born in Mombasa, Kenya, into a Goan family and was later raised in Bombay, now Mumbai, India.
Ronnie has explained that his own father came from Ucassaim in Goa, while his mother belonged to the Baptista family from Assagao. Following Kenya’s independence, Ronnie’s father decided to relocate the family to India.
Ronnie later studied hotel management in Bombay. His professional career was also connected with hospitality, including work with major hotel groups before he eventually moved to the United States.
He settled in Southern California and continued working in hospitality before retiring. The Goans of America organization, where Ronnie has also been publicly involved, describes him as married to Jeanette Moniz and as the father of Chelsea and Riley.
Ronnie has perhaps been Riley’s most visible family supporter. In 2022, he wrote an article titled Riley Dalgado – A Soccer Journey while traveling with Jeanette to watch their son represent the United States U-17 national team in Portugal.
When Riley later signed his professional contract with the LA Galaxy, Ronnie again celebrated the achievement publicly and described it as the fulfillment of a childhood dream built through years of work and dedication.
Riley Dalgado’s Mother: Jeanette Moniz Dalgado
Riley Dalgado’s mother is Jeanette Moniz Dalgado. She comes from Curtorim in Salcete, Goa, and attended Fatima Convent in Margao before moving to Bombay.
Jeanette and Ronnie both studied hotel management in Bombay, where they met before eventually building their lives together in the United States.
Reports about the family indicate that Jeanette moved to the United States in 1990, with Ronnie following in 1993. They later settled in Southern California, where they raised Chelsea and Riley.
Like Ronnie, Jeanette has supported Riley throughout his development. Ronnie’s account of the 2022 United States U-17 tournament in Portugal described the emotional experience they shared while watching their son stand for the American national anthem before international matches.
Jeanette’s Goan roots have also become an important part of Riley’s identity. Riley has publicly acknowledged that both sides of his family come from Goa and has expressed pride in his Indian heritage despite being born and raised in California.
Who Is Riley Dalgado’s Sister?
Riley Dalgado has one publicly documented sibling, an older sister named Chelsea.
Chelsea Dalgado
Chelsea is the older daughter of Ronnie and Jeanette Dalgado. Her identity was directly confirmed by Ronnie in his 2022 article about Riley’s soccer journey and is also listed by Goans of America in Ronnie’s biography.
According to Ronnie’s account, Chelsea did not share Riley’s strong interest in competitive sports. At the time, she was interested in pursuing a career in education.
This created two distinctly different paths within the Dalgado household. While Riley spent much of his childhood training and traveling for soccer, Chelsea developed interests away from professional sport.
Reliable public sources provide relatively little additional information about Chelsea, suggesting that she has maintained a private life outside the attention surrounding her brother’s football career.
Riley Dalgado’s Goan and Indian Heritage
Riley Dalgado was born and raised in California, but his family roots extend deeply into Goa, India.
On his mother’s side, Jeanette Moniz comes from Curtorim in Salcete. On his father’s side, Ronnie’s family has connections to Ucassaim and Assagao in North Goa.
Riley has visited both Goa and Mumbai. In discussing his heritage, he has recalled trips to India when his grandmothers were still alive and has spoken about maintaining a connection with the country despite growing up in the United States.
His background has received particular attention because of the limited number of Indian-origin players who have reached Major League Soccer. His father described Riley’s professional breakthrough as a source of pride not only for the immediate family but also for the wider Goan community.
Who Were Riley Dalgado’s Grandmothers?
Two members of Riley’s extended family have also been publicly identified. His grandmothers were Helena Moniz and Alda Dalgado.
Riley has recalled traveling to Bombay and Goa to spend time with his grandmothers while they were alive. Those visits strengthened his personal connection with his family’s Indian heritage despite growing up thousands of miles away in California.
Both grandmothers have since passed away, but Riley’s memories of visiting them remain part of the story he has shared about his relationship with Goa and India.
Riley Dalgado’s Great-Uncle Peter Dalgado Was an Olympian
Elite sport already existed in the Dalgado family generations before Riley entered professional soccer.
His great-uncle Peter Dalgado represented Kenya in field hockey at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia.
Ronnie has highlighted Peter’s Olympic career when discussing the sporting history within the family. Riley therefore comes from a family in which international-level athletic achievement predates his own appearances for United States youth national teams.
Although the sports are different, Peter’s Olympic background adds another notable chapter to the family’s athletic history.
How Ronnie and Jeanette Supported Riley’s Soccer Career
Riley began playing organized soccer at around six years old. He later joined the South Bay LA Galaxy program before attracting the attention of the main LA Galaxy Academy.
His progress required a substantial commitment from his parents. Academy soccer involved frequent practices, matches, tournaments and international travel, all while Riley continued his education.
At around 11 years old, Dalgado competed for a place in the LA Galaxy Academy. He eventually became one of the players who remained in the development system as he moved through the age groups.
His father has described watching Riley develop against elite opposition including academies associated with some of the biggest clubs in international football.
By the age of 15, Riley was already representing the United States at U-17 level, giving Ronnie and Jeanette the opportunity to watch their son play internationally.
Riley Dalgado and His Father’s Special Relationship
Ronnie and Riley have also publicly discussed their relationship away from formal football interviews.
In 2024, the pair appeared together on a podcast centered on relationships between fathers and sons. The conversation covered their different generations, family upbringing, careers and the experience of growing up in an Indian-American household.
Ronnie’s public comments over several years demonstrate how closely he has followed Riley’s journey. From youth international matches to Riley’s professional signing, he has regularly expressed pride in his son’s development.
Riley has returned that appreciation by thanking his family when discussing important career milestones, including his Homegrown deal with the LA Galaxy.
Signing With the LA Galaxy
The biggest professional milestone of Riley Dalgado’s young career came when the LA Galaxy announced that he had signed a Homegrown contract.
The agreement was announced in January 2025. Dalgado spent that season on an MLS NEXT Pro contract before his first-team MLS agreement began in 2026.
Before signing, he had already accumulated significant professional experience with the Galaxy’s second team. During the 2024 campaign, he recorded one goal and two assists in 30 appearances across all competitions for Ventura County FC.
Riley described signing for his childhood club as the realization of a dream and specifically thanked his family, friends, coaches and teammates for helping him reach professional soccer.
His father celebrated the signing publicly as well, emphasizing the years of work that had gone into reaching that stage.
Riley Dalgado’s International Career
Dalgado has represented the United States at several youth levels.
He was already involved with the U.S. U-17 national team in 2022, traveling to Argentina and Portugal for international matches. His parents attended the European tournament and watched the United States face Italy, Belgium and Portugal.
His international development continued as he moved into older age groups. In March 2026, the LA Galaxy confirmed that Dalgado had been selected for a United States U-20 training camp in Buenos Aires.
The call-up continued the international journey that his parents had first documented several years earlier when he was still a teenager in the Galaxy academy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Riley Dalgado’s Family
Who is Riley Dalgado’s girlfriend?
Riley Dalgado has not publicly confirmed a girlfriend through reliable football media or official club sources as of now.
Does Riley Dalgado have children?
There is no reliable public information indicating that Riley Dalgado has children.
Who is Riley Dalgado’s father?
Riley Dalgado’s father is Ronnie Dalgado. Ronnie was born in Mombasa, Kenya, was raised in Bombay, India, and later moved to the United States.
Who is Riley Dalgado’s mother?
His mother is Jeanette Moniz Dalgado, who comes from Curtorim in Goa, India.
Does Riley Dalgado have siblings?
Yes. Riley has an older sister named Chelsea.
Who is Riley Dalgado’s sister?
His sister is Chelsea Dalgado. Their father has said that Chelsea was interested in education rather than pursuing competitive sport.
Are Riley Dalgado’s parents Indian?
Riley comes from a Goan family. His mother is from Curtorim, while his father’s family has roots in Ucassaim and Assagao. Ronnie was born in Kenya and later raised in India before moving to the United States.
Who are Riley Dalgado’s grandmothers?
Published reporting identifies his late grandmothers as Helena Moniz and Alda Dalgado.
Is Riley Dalgado related to an Olympian?
Yes. His great-uncle Peter Dalgado represented Kenya in field hockey at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Where did Riley Dalgado grow up?
Dalgado grew up in Southern California. His family has been based in the Redondo Beach area.
Wilson Gaspar is a football analyst covering the UEFA Champions League, focusing on match previews, tactical reviews, and the performance of Europe’s top clubs throughout the competition.
