.jpg) Dias at theWeb Summit 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rúben dos Santos Gato Alves Dias | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1997-05-14)14 May 1997 (age 28) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Amadora, Portugal | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre-back[2] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Manchester City | |||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Estrela da Amadora | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2015 | Benfica | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Benfica B | 55 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | Benfica | 91 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2020– | Manchester City | 166 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Portugal U16 | 5 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Portugal U17 | 18 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Portugal U19 | 21 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Portugal U20 | 15 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Portugal U21 | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2018– | Portugal | 74 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:19, 11 February 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 16:41, 16 November 2025 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Rúben dos Santos Gato Alves Dias (born 14 May 1997) is a Portuguese professionalfootballer who plays as acentre-back forPremier League clubManchester City and thePortugal national team. He is regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the world.[3]
Dias came throughBenfica's youth academy. He began playing forBenfica B in 2015 and was promoted to the first-team in 2017, and was named thePrimeira Liga's Young Player of the Year. The following season, Dias won theleague title in the2018–19 season withBenfica and later theSupertaça Cândido de Oliveira during the2019–20 season, while also being named in thePrimeira Liga's Team of the Year, making over 100 appearances in the process.
He signed for Premier League clubManchester City in September 2020 for a reported fee of €68 million, becoming the second-highest fee for a Portuguese player leaving the domestic league. Dias won theleague title andEFL Cup in his first season, while also reaching theUEFA Champions League final. He was also namedFWA Footballer of the Year,Manchester City Player of the Year,Premier League Player of the Season and theUEFA Champions League Defender of the Season in 2021. In2022–23, he played a crucial role as City secured a first-evercontinental treble.
Dias is a formerPortugal youth international, representing his country atunder-16,under-17,under-19,under-20 andunder-21 levels. He made his senior international debut in 2018, being chosen in Portugal's squads for twoFIFA World Cups (2018 and2022) and twoUEFA European Championships (2020 and2024); he also won the2019 and2025 UEFA Nations League Finals, being named in the2019 team of the tournament on home soil and man of the match in thefinal.
Rúben dos Santos Gato Alves Dias[4] was born on 14 May 1997[5] inAmadora, Lisbon District.[6] He has an older brother Ivan, who is also a professional football player, who nicknamed him "Ruby".[7] Growing up, his idols wereJohn Terry,Nemanja Vidić,Rio Ferdinand, andVincent Kompany, whom he looked to emulate, as he aspired to play in thePremier League from an early age. He would play football wherever he could on the streets or in his house with his brother Ivan.[8]
Dias started his career at local clubEstrela da Amadora after being brought to the club by a close family member.[7] Dias initially played as a striker, before switching to defence, due to his team being losing by two goals during a match.[8][9] He moved toBenfica's youth academy in 2008, where he played initially as amidfielder, before changing position tocentre-back for thejunior side until 2015.[8] In the same year, on 30 September, he made his professional debut withBenfica B in a2015–16 LigaPro match againstChaves.[citation needed] On 7 March 2016,Rui Vitória called 18-year-old Dias for Benfica'sUEFA Champions League Round of 16-second leg tie againstZenit Saint Petersburg after three of his four main centre-backs were unable to make the trip to Russia.[10] The following season he helped the B team finish fourth; the club's highest ever position obtained in thesecond division. He also helped the junior team reach the final of the2016–17 UEFA Youth League.[11]
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On 16 September 2017, Dias debuted for the first team in aPrimeira Liga match againstBoavista. After two months of impressive displays,[12] including two games againstManchester United in theChampions League, he underwent surgery due toappendicitis, sidelining him for a month.[13] He scored his first goal forBenfica in aTaça da Liga encounter (2–2) againstVitória de Setúbal on 29 December 2017.[14] On 3 February 2018, he scored his first goal in thePrimeira Liga againstRio Ave (5–1).[15] At the end of the season, he was voted Primeira Liga's best young player of the year.[16]
After heavy speculation linking Dias to a big money move to French sideLyon, he extended his contract with Benfica until 2023.[17] On 2 November 2019, Dias played his 100th game for the club and scored the opening goal against Rio Ave in a 2–0 home victory.[18]
On 26 September 2020, Dias scored the opening goal againstMoreirense in a 2–0 win.[19] After the game, managerJorge Jesus admitted that it had likely been his last game for the club.[20]
Dias signed for EnglishPremier League clubManchester City on 29 September 2020 on a six-year contract, with an initial fee reported of €68 million (£61.64 million) that could rise to €71.6 million with performance bonuses, plusNicolás Otamendi being sent to Benfica in part-exchange for €15 million bringing the net cost of the transaction to €56.6 million (£51 million).[21][22] On 3 October 2020, Dias made his league debut for City in a 1–1 away draw againstLeeds United.[23]
Dias was named the Manchester City Player of the Month for November 2020, following a series of very strong defensive performances.[24] On 27 February 2021, Dias scored his first goal for City in a 2–1 home league win overWest Ham United.[25] He was praised as being a key factor in Manchester City regaining the Premier League title that season by bringing composure, leadership and stability back to the defence.[26] Dias won theFWA Footballer of the Year for the 2020–21 season, who described him as a "comfortable winner" ahead ofHarry Kane andKevin De Bruyne, and becoming the first defender to win the award sinceSteve Nicol in the 1988–89 season.[27] He was also named Manchester City's Player of the Season[28] and thePremier League Player of the Season.[29]
On 15 September 2021, Dias captained Manchester City for the first time, providing an assist forJack Grealish in a 6–3 homeChampions League win againstRB Leipzig.[30] On 1 December, Dias opened the scoring in Manchester City's 2–1 victory overAston Villa, with his first goal from outside the box in his career.[31]
On 4 March 2022, Manchester City managerPep Guardiola announced that Dias had suffered an hamstring injury, his first injury in five years, leading him to miss two months of the season, which included the secondManchester Derby of the season, Manchester City's second leg of theirChampions League round of 16 tie againstSporting CP andPortugal'squalification play-offs for the2022 FIFA World Cup.[32] He made his return from injury on 20 April, replacingNathan Aké in the 46th minute in a 3–0 victory overBrighton & Hove Albion.[33] On 7 May, Dias suffered another hamstring injury during a match againstNewcastle United, sidelining him for the remainder of the season.[34]
Over the course of the2022–23 campaign, Dias started and completed almost every minute for Manchester City, playing a major part in their campaign, as City secured their first ever Champions League trophy and complete acontinental treble, following a 1–0 victory againstInter Milan in theChampions League final.[35]
On 22 August 2025, Dias signed a new four-year contract, keeping him at Manchester City until the summer of 2029.[36]
Dias represented theUnder-17 side at the2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. Two years later, he served as captain to theunder-19 squad at the2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. The following year, Dias served as captain to theunder-20 team at the2017 U-20 World Cup, which lost toUruguay 5–4 on penalties in the quarterfinals. On 5 September 2017, he made his debut for theUnder-21 in a2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match againstWales.[37]
Ahead of international friendly matches againstEgypt and theNetherlands, Dias was called up to thesenior side by Portugal coachFernando Santos on 15 March 2018. However, four days later, he was dropped from the squad after picking up right ankle sprain.[38] On 17 May 2018, Dias was named in Portugal's 23-man squad for theFIFA World Cup in Russia.[39][40] Eleven days later, he made his international debut in a friendly match againstTunisia.[41] Despite being present at the World Cup, he did not feature in any of Portugal's four matches in the competition.[42]
Following the World Cup, Dias began establishing himself at centre-back, overtakingJosé Fonte's place alongsidePepe, featuring in all of Portugal's2018–19 UEFA Nations League matches, helping Portugal reach the2019 UEFA Nations League final on home soil. On 9 June, Portugal defeated theNetherlands 1–0 in the tournament's final, with Dias being named man of the match.[43] For his performances throughout the competition, he was named in the "Team of the Tournament".[44]
On 17 November 2020, Dias scored his first international goals during the2020–21 UEFA Nations League, with a brace in a 3–2 victory againstCroatia.[45][46][47] He was selected in Portugal's squad forUEFA Euro 2020.[48] On 19 June 2021, he scored an own goal in the 35th minute in a 4–2 loss toGermany at Euro 2020.[49][better source needed] He appeared in all of Portugal's matches, being eventually eliminated at the round of 16, following a 1–0 loss toBelgium.[50][51]
In October 2022, he was named in Portugal's preliminary 55-man squad for the2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar,[52] before being included in the final 26-man squad for the tournament.[53] He played almost every minute of their campaign, as they were knocked out of the tournament after losing 1–0 in the quarter-finals againstMorocco.[54]
On 11 September 2023, during aUEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match againstLuxembourg at home, Dias earned his 50th cap, starting in Portugal's 9–0 victory, their biggest win in international history.[55]
On 21 May 2024, Dias was named in Portugal's squad forUEFA Euro 2024 in Germany.[56] He started in the team's first two matches againstthe Czech Republic[57] andTurkey,[58] before being rested for the finalGroup F match againstGeorgia.[59] He was restored to the starting line-up for Portugal'sround of 16 match againstSlovenia and played 117 minutes before being substituted forRúben Neves as Portugal won 3–0 in apenalty shootout.[60] Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals toFrance after losing 5–3 in another penalty shootout.[61]
On 20 May 2025, Dias was selected for Portugal’s2025 UEFA Nations League Finalssquad.[62] He and his team would go on to win the tournament5–3 in a penalty shootout over rivalsSpain.[63]
Dias is a physically strong, right-footedcentre-back who usually features on the left-hand side of central defence, due to his comfort in passing the ball with both feet. He is able to pass in different directions, whether to a teammate on the same side, switching to the opposite side, or making vertical line-breaking passes. Combining his two-footedness with a very good passing range, Dias can dictate play in any direction from the back.
His strength on the ball when shielding it away from forwards running down his channel. Dias is very calm on the ball too and rarely finds himself in a heap of pressure. Dias is extremely proficient at passing, especially in longer passes, as his passing quality and ability is able to help his team retain possession.
Dias is also dominant in the air, winning most of his aerial duels, as he looks to target his teammates and find them on a regular basis. He also uses his size to help him contest well in tackles, as he is also great at bodying up on players to win the ball back. He has a good-timing as he is able to anticipate a player's action or react for a "last-ditch" challenge.[64][65]
His Manchester City managerPep Guardiola, stated that "Dias a center back who leads the defensive line and in doing so helps others to make good decisions, the same happens in relation to midfielders [...] he is a player capable of living every moment of the game [...] always being focused on what he has to do and he makes his partner better."[66][67]José Mourinho would praise Dias as the "best centre-back in world [...] for thePremier League, [he's] gaining another level of experience, knowledge".[68]
Former Manchester United defenderGary Neville, stated that "Dias is the type of player who makes the whole team feel safe." Meanwhile, formerLiverpool defenderJamie Carragher would compare Dias to legendaryBarcelona defenderCarles Puyol, stating that "the amount of interceptions" during aUEFA Champions League match reminded him of legendary Premier League defenderJohn Terry, while also praising his "leadership skills".[69]
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Dias was in a relationship with Portuguese singerApril Ivy from 2018 to 2021.[70] In March 2025,Gary Lineker mentioned in an online video that Dias was now dating British television presenterMaya Jama.[71]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Benfica B | 2015–16[72] | LigaPro | 26 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17[72] | LigaPro | 28 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 28 | 0 | |||||
| 2017–18[72] | LigaPro | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 55 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 55 | 0 | ||||||
| Benfica | 2017–18[72] | Primeira Liga | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2[c] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 4 |
| 2018–19[72] | Primeira Liga | 32 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15[d] | 1 | — | 55 | 4 | ||
| 2019–20[6][72] | Primeira Liga | 33 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8[e] | 1 | 1[f] | 0 | 49 | 3 | |
| 2020–21[72] | Primeira Liga | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1[c] | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 91 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 137 | 12 | ||
| Manchester City | 2020–21[73] | Premier League | 32 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11[c] | 0 | — | 50 | 1 | |
| 2021–22[74] | Premier League | 29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[c] | 0 | 1[g] | 0 | 40 | 2 | |
| 2022–23[75] | Premier League | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12[c] | 1 | 1[g] | 0 | 43 | 1 | |
| 2023–24[76] | Premier League | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9[c] | 0 | 2[h] | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
| 2024–25[77] | Premier League | 27 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7[c] | 0 | 4[i] | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
| 2025–26[78] | Premier League | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5[c] | 0 | — | 27 | 2 | ||
| Total | 166 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 52 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 249 | 6 | ||
| Career total | 312 | 14 | 29 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 78 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 441 | 18 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 2018 | 7 | 0 |
| 2019 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 10 | 0 | |
| Total | 74 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 November 2020 | Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia | 24 |  Croatia | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A | [80] |
| 2 | 3–2 | |||||||
| 3 | 4 June 2024 | Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal | 55 |  Finland | 1–0 | 4–2 | Friendly | [81] |
Benfica
Manchester City
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Individual
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