Rúben Dias facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rúben Dias

Dias with Portugal in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth	(1997-05-14) 14 May 1997 (age 28)
Place of birth	Amadora, Portugal
Height	1.87 m
Playing position	Centre-back
Club information
Current club	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	131	(3)
National team‡
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	64	(3)
Honours Men's football Representing  Portugal UEFA Nations League Winner 2019
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:45, 19 January 2025 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:04, 15 October 2024 (UTC)

Rúben dos Santos Gato Alves Dias (born on May 14, 1997) is a professional footballer from Portugal. He plays as a centre-back (a defender) for the English club Manchester City and the Portugal national team. Rúben Dias is known for his strong and determined playing style, as well as his leadership on the field. Many people consider him one of the best defenders in the world.

Dias started his football journey in the youth academy of Benfica, a famous Portuguese club. He joined Benfica's B team in 2015 and moved up to the main team in 2017. In his first season with the main team, he was named the best young player in the Primeira Liga (Portugal's top league). The next season, he helped Benfica win the league title.

In September 2020, Rúben Dias joined Premier League club Manchester City. In his first season there, he helped them win the league title and the EFL Cup. He also played in the Champions League final. For his amazing performance, he won several important awards, including the FWA Footballer of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season. In the 2022–23 season, he was a key player when Manchester City won their first-ever continental treble (winning three major trophies in one season).

Rúben Dias also played for Portugal's youth national teams before making his debut for the senior team in 2018. He has represented Portugal in two FIFA World Cups (2018 and 2022) and two UEFA European Championships (2020 and 2024). He also helped Portugal win the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals in 2019, where he was named the man of the match in the final game.

Early Life and Start in Football

Rúben dos Santos Gato Alves Dias was born in Amadora, Portugal, on May 14, 1997. He has an older brother named Ivan, who is also a professional football player. Ivan gave Rúben the nickname "Ruby." When Rúben was growing up, he looked up to famous defenders like John Terry, Nemanja Vidić, Rio Ferdinand, and Vincent Kompany. He dreamed of playing in the Premier League just like them. He loved playing football anywhere he could, whether it was in the streets or at home with his brother.

Club Career

Playing for Benfica

Rúben Dias began his football career at a local club called Estrela da Amadora. A family member helped him join the club. At first, Rúben played as a striker, which is a player who scores goals. But during one match, his team was losing, so he switched to playing defense.

In 2008, he moved to Benfica's youth academy. He started as a midfielder but later became a centre-back for the junior teams. On September 30, 2015, he made his first professional appearance for Benfica B, which is Benfica's reserve team. He was only 18 years old when he was called up to the main Benfica team for a UEFA Champions League match in March 2016. In the next season, he helped the Benfica B team achieve their highest-ever finish in the second division.

First Team Success

On September 16, 2017, Rúben Dias played his first game for Benfica's main team in a Primeira Liga match. He played very well for two months, even in games against Manchester United in the Champions League. However, he had to have surgery for appendicitis, which kept him out of action for a month.

He scored his first goal for Benfica on December 29, 2017, in a cup game. On February 3, 2018, he scored his first goal in the Primeira Liga. At the end of that season, he was named the Primeira Liga's best young player.

Dias playing for Benfica in 2019

Dias signed a new contract with Benfica until 2023. On November 2, 2019, he played his 100th game for the club and scored a goal. On September 26, 2020, he scored another goal for Benfica. After that game, his manager said it was likely his last game for the club.

Joining Manchester City

Winning the Premier League

Rúben Dias joined the English Premier League club Manchester City on September 29, 2020. He signed a six-year contract. On October 3, 2020, he made his first league appearance for City in a game against Leeds United.

Dias quickly became a very important player for Manchester City. He was named the Manchester City Player of the Month for November 2020 because of his strong defensive performances. On February 27, 2021, he scored his first goal for City. He was praised for bringing calmness, leadership, and strength to the team's defense, which helped Manchester City win the Premier League title that season.

He won several major awards for his performance in the 2020–21 season. These included the FWA Footballer of the Year, Manchester City's Player of the Season, and the Premier League Player of the Season. He was the first defender to win the FWA award since 1989.

Key Player and Treble Winner

On September 15, 2021, Rúben Dias was the captain for Manchester City for the first time in a Champions League match. On December 1, he scored his first goal from outside the penalty box in a game against Aston Villa.

In March 2022, Dias had a hamstring injury, which meant he missed two months of games. This was his first injury in five years. He returned to play in April. In May, he had another hamstring injury, which kept him out for the rest of that season.

Dias with Manchester City in 2023

During the 2022–23 season, Rúben Dias played almost every minute for Manchester City. He was a crucial part of the team as they won their first-ever UEFA Champions League trophy. This win helped them achieve a continental treble, meaning they won three major competitions in one season: the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League.

International Career

Youth Teams and Senior Debut

Rúben Dias played for several of Portugal's youth national teams. He represented the Under-17 team in 2014 and was captain of the Under-19 squad in 2016. The next year, he captained the Under-20 team in the 2017 U-20 World Cup. He also played for the Under-21 team.

On March 15, 2018, Rúben Dias was called up to the senior national team for the first time. However, he had to withdraw due to an ankle injury. On May 17, 2018, he was chosen for Portugal's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He made his international debut in a friendly match against Tunisia. Even though he was part of the World Cup squad, he did not play in any of Portugal's games in that tournament.

Nations League Title and Major Tournaments

After the World Cup, Dias became a regular starter in defense for Portugal. He played in all of Portugal's 2018–19 UEFA Nations League matches, helping them reach the final. On June 9, Portugal beat the Netherlands 1–0 in the final, and Dias was named the man of the match. He was also included in the "Team of the Tournament" for his great performances.

On November 17, 2020, Rúben Dias scored his first two goals for Portugal in a 3–2 win against Croatia.

He was part of Portugal's squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He played in all of Portugal's matches, but the team was knocked out in the round of 16 by Belgium.

In October 2022, Dias was selected for Portugal's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He played almost every minute of their games. Portugal was knocked out in the quarter-finals after losing to Morocco.

On September 11, 2023, Rúben Dias played his 50th game for Portugal in a 9–0 victory against Luxembourg. This was Portugal's biggest win ever in international football.

In May 2024, Dias was named in Portugal's squad for UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. He played in most of Portugal's games as they reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by France in a penalty shootout.

How Rúben Dias Plays

Rúben Dias is a strong defender who mainly plays on the left side of the central defense. He is comfortable using both his right and left feet to pass the ball. This allows him to pass in many directions, whether it's to a teammate close by or sending a long pass across the field. His ability to pass well with both feet means he can control the game from the back.

He is very strong when he has the ball, protecting it from opposing forwards. Dias is also very calm when he has the ball and rarely feels pressured. He is excellent at passing, especially long passes, which helps his team keep possession of the ball.

Dias is also very good at winning aerial duels (heading the ball in the air). He uses his size and strength to win tackles and get the ball back from opponents. He has good timing, which helps him guess what a player will do or make a last-minute tackle to stop an attack.

Personal Life

Rúben Dias was in a relationship with Portuguese singer-songwriter April Ivy from 2018 to 2021.

Career Stats

Club

International

Portugal score listed first, score column indicates score after each Dias goal

List of international goals scored by Rúben Dias

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
2					3–2
3	4 June 2024	Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal	55	Finland	1–0	4–2	Friendly

Awards and Trophies

Benfica

• Primeira Liga: 2018–19
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2019

Manchester City

• Premier League: 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
• FA Cup: 2022–23; runner-up: 2023–24
• EFL Cup: 2020–21
• FA Community Shield: 2024
• UEFA Champions League: 2022–23; runner-up: 2020–21
• UEFA Super Cup: 2023
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2023

Portugal

• UEFA Nations League: 2018–19

Individual

• UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2016
• Cosme Damião Awards – Revelation of the Year: 2017
• Primeira Liga Best Young Player of the Year: 2017–18
• UEFA Nations League Finals Team of the Tournament: 2019
• Primeira Liga Defender of the Month: March 2018, October/November 2019
• Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2019–20
• FWA Footballer of the Year: 2020–21
• PFA Team of the Year: 2020–21 Premier League, 2022–23 Premier League
• Manchester City Player of the Year: 2020–21
• UEFA Champions League Squad/Team of the Season: 2020–21, 2022–23
• Premier League Player of the Season: 2020–21
• ESM Team of the Year: 2020–21
• UEFA Champions League Defender of the Season: 2020–21
• FIFA FIFPRO World 11: 2021, 2023
• The Best FIFA Men's 11: 2024

See also

In Spanish: Rúben Dias para niños