FC Dallas Richards was raised in
Hoover, Alabama, and played youth soccer for Hoover SC. In 2016, he was cut from a trial with FC Dallas Academy and instead joined Texans SC in Houston. He then joined FC Dallas Academy in 2017. On April 12, 2018, Richards signed a professional contract with
FC Dallas.
Bayern Munich In May 2018, Richards, with his FC Dallas colleague
Thomas Roberts, went to a 10-day trial at
FC Bayern Munich as part of an agreement between the two clubs. As a result of his performance during the trial, in July he was offered a one-year loan with the German club. On July 21, 2018, Richards debuted for the Bayern senior team at the
2018 International Champions Cup, replacing
Sandro Wagner in the 62nd minute of the 3–1 win against
Paris Saint-Germain F.C. During the 2018–19 season, he spent time with
Bayern München U19s, becoming a team regular starter and being praised for his aerial abilities and his passing skills. On January 19, 2019, Richards signed a $1.5 million permanent contract with FC Bayern Munich. On August 19, 2019, he made his professional debut when he started for
FC Bayern Munich II at the
3. Liga in a 2–1 away win against
Hallescher FC. He made 30 appearances and scoring 4 goals for Bayern II in a team that won the 3. Liga. On June 20, 2020, Richards made his Bundesliga debut in a 3–1 victory over
Freiburg. On September 18, he made his first appearance of the
2020–21 Bundesliga season in Bayern's opening match against
Schalke 04. He made his first start for Bayern against
Hertha BSC on October 4, in which he assisted a
Robert Lewandowski goal in the 51st minute of a 4–3 win. On November 25, 2020, Richards made his
UEFA Champions League debut for Bayern in a 3–1 victory over Red Bull Salzburg. He left the game in the 79th minute when he was replaced by
Javi Martínez.
Loan to Hoffenheim On February 1, 2021, Richards joined Bundesliga side
TSG Hoffenheim on loan for the remainder of the season. On August 30, he returned to Hoffenheim on a season-long loan deal.
Crystal Palace victory parade in 2025 Richards signed a five-year contract with
Premier League club
Crystal Palace on July 27, 2022, after being transferred from Bayern Munich for a €12 million fee. After making sporadic appearances in his first season, the
2022–23 campaign, he began to appear more prominently in the following season,
2023–24, initially out of position as a defensive midfielder under
Roy Hodgson before shifting to his preferred centre-back position under new manager
Oliver Glasner's back three system. He scored his first goal for the club on February 24, opening the scoring in a 3–0 home win over
Burnley, with his goal being Palace's first under Glasner in his first match in charge. At the start of the
2024–25 season, Richards lost his place in the starting line-up to new loan signing
Trevoh Chalobah, and was restricted to just six league starts in the first half of the season. However, his playing time increased following Chalobah's recall to
Chelsea in January 2025. Richards went on to form an essential part of the back line alongside
Marc Guéhi and
Maxence Lacroix. He scored his second goal for the club in a 5–2 defeat to
Manchester City on April 12. Palace went on to win the
FA Cup, their first ever major trophy, and qualify for European competition for the first time; Richards received praise for his defensive shut-out performance in the 1–0 victory against City in the
2025 FA Cup final. He was the only Crystal Palace player to have played every minute of every tie in the competition. He also became just the second American to play in and win an FA Cup final, after
Tim Howard in
2004. ==International career==