Rúben Neves

Rúben Diogo da Silva Neves is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Al-Hilal and the Portugal national team.

Rúben Diogo da Silva Neves is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Al-Hilal and the Portugal national team. He began his senior career with Porto, later became a key player and captain at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and joined Al-Hilal in 2023. He has also won major honours with Portugal, including the 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals.

Early life and youth career

Rúben Neves was born in Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal, on 13 March 1997. He developed at Porto, where he progressed into the first team as a teenager and made his first-team debut at age 17.

Club career

Neves played for Porto before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2017. In his first season, he helped the club win the EFL Championship. He made 253 appearances and scored 30 goals for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He later transferred to Al-Hilal in 2023 for a reported fee of £47 million and continued his career in Saudi Arabia.

International career

Neves has represented Portugal at senior level and was part of the squad that won the 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals, scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out against Spain. He scored his first senior international goal on 11 October 2025 in a World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland.

Style of play

He is listed as a defensive midfielder and has also been used in central midfield roles. Sources describe him as a deep-lying midfield player with strong passing ability.