João Neves

Early career

Born in Tavira, Neves began his youth career with hometown club Casa Benfica Tavira, one of Benfica's feeder clubs, he then spent four seasons in Benfica's development centre in Algarve, before moving to Benfica's main academy in 2016. Neves signed his first professional contract with Benfica in December 2020.

Benfica

2022–23: Early career and first-team breakthrough

Neves was a part of the Benfica U19 team which topped their 2021–22 UEFA Youth League group against Dynamo Kyiv, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich, and eventually won the tournament. He made his professional debut with Benfica B in a 1–1 LigaPro draw to Académico de Viseu on 6 August 2022. On 24 August, Neves started in Benfica's 1–0 against Peñarol at the 2022 Under-20 Intercontinental Cup. During the league break to facilitate the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he made his unofficial debut for Benfica's first team on 11 December 2022, in a closed-doors friendly against Sevilla. During this time, Benfica's first team manager Roger Schmidt invited him to participate in several first-team training sessions, impressing him with his ability, dedication and maturity on the ball. On 21 December, Neves signed a contract extension with Benfica until 2028. He made his debut for the senior team on the first day of 2023, coming on late as a substitute in the 3–0 defeat to Braga in the Primeira Liga. On 7 March, Neves made his UEFA Champions League debut, replacing João Mário in the 74th minute…

Neves represented Portugal at under-15 and under-19, for a total of 21 caps. In June 2023, Neves took part in the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, scoring his first goal on 27 June in a 2–1 against Belgium. Portugal were eliminated from the tournament, on 2 July, after a 1–0 loss to England in the quarter-finals. On 6 October 2023, Neves was called up to the Portuguese team for the first time for UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Slovakia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He debuted the same year on 16 October, coming off the bench to replace Otávio in the 85th minute of a 5–0 away victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 May 2024, Neves was selected in the 26-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2024. With Portugal having secured qualification from their group, he debuted in the competition as a starter in a 2–0 loss against Georgia. Neves did not appear in the knockout stage as they were eliminated from the tournament in the quarter-finals after losing to France 5–3 in a penalty shootout. On 20 May 2025, Neves was selected for Portugal's 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals squad. Deployed as a right-back, he and his team would go on to win the tournament 5–3 in a penalty shootout over rivals Spain. On 16 November, Neves scored his first senior international goals, netting in a hat-trick in a 9–1 victory over Armenia at Estádio do Dragão, as Portugal secured qualification for the World Cup. On 19 May 2026, Neves was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World…

Neves is a central midfielder known for his passing, tackling skills, and close ball control. Regarded for his composure, stamina, and tactical maturity and a young age, he is capable of retaining possession under pressure in tight spaces. In addition, despite his relatively slight frame, statistics show that he wins a high percentile for aerial battles. At Benfica, Neves played as a deep-lying playmaker, often in a double pivot within a 4–2–3–1 formation. In this role, he frequently dropped deep to receive the ball and keep possession. He uses his acceleration and agility over short distances to evade pressure from defenders and to create space from his marker without needing deceptive moves. Versatile in his positionings, Neves can drop between central defenders or full-backs to create numerical advantages. Defensively, he is noted for his counter-pressing, quickly engaging opponents to disrupt transitions when possession is lost.

His first idol in football was ex Benfica player Pablo Aimar. When he started watching European football, he also admired ex Manchester City players Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva. His mother passed away from cancer at the age of 50 in February 2024, when Neves was 19. Neves has been in a relationship with actress, influencer and fashion model Madalena Aragão since 2024.