Born on February 19, 2001, in Tavira, João Neves began playing football in his hometown in 2012. He joined SL Benfica’s youth academy in 2016, progressing through every age group of the Lisbon club’s development system. He signed his first professional contract in December 2020 and went on to win the UEFA Youth League in 2022.
Just a few months later, on December 30, 2022, the promising midfielder made his first-team debut for his boyhood club in a league match against Braga. Integrated into the squad rotation by coach Roger Schmidt, Neves helped Benfica win the Portuguese league title in 2023 and also made his UEFA Champions League debut in February that year at just 18 years old.
A right-footed player known for his comfort on the ball, Neves finished the 2022–2023 season as a regular starter. Hard-working, versatile, and tactically intelligent, he scored his first professional goal against Sporting CP on May 21, 2023.
He started the following season with a win over FC Porto in the Portuguese Super Cup and quickly established himself as a key player for the Eagles. His meteoric rise extended to the international stage, earning his first senior cap for Portugal in October 2023 against Bosnia. As of now, he has 9 international appearances, including 2 matches at UEFA Euro 2024, where Portugal reached the quarter-finals.
