| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Rúben dos Santos Gato Alves Dias |
| Profession | Footballer |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 6' 2" (188 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Hair Colour | Dark Ash Blonde |
| Football | |
| International Debut | 14 October 2018 in a Nations League match against Italy |
| Jersey Number | #4 (Portugal) #3 (Manchester City)  |
| Club(s) | Youth career • Estrela da Amadora (2006–2008) • Benfica (2008–2015) Senior career • Benfica B (2015–2017) • Benfica (2017–2020) • Manchester City (2020–present) |
| Position | Defender |
| Awards | • 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) • Primeira Liga Defender of the Month (March 2018) • UEFA Nations League Finals Team of the Tournament (2019) • Primeira Liga Defender of the Month (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) • IFFHS Men's World Team (2021, 2023, 2024) • IFFHS Men's World Youth (U20) Team (2020) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 14 May 1997 (Wednesday) |
| Age (as of 2025) | 28 Years |
| Birthplace | Amadora, Portugal |
| Zodiac sign | Taurus |
| Nationality | Portugese |
| Hometown | Amadora, Portugal |
| Food Habit | Non-vegetarian |
| Social Media | • Instagram |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | • April Ivy (2018-2021) • Maya Jama (rumoured) (2025)  |
| Family | |
| Parents | Father- Joao Gato (real estate consultant) Mother- Bernardete Alves Dias (accountant)  |
| Siblings | Brother- Ivan Dias (professional football player) |
| Style Quotient | |
| Car Collection | Lamborghini Revuelto |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Rúben Dias
- Rúben was eight years old when he debuted for his first club, C.F. Estrela da Amadora. He was recommended to the club by his school mate who saw his talent in the playground. He started the match as a striker.
- Despite starting his football journey as a striker, Ruben shifted his focus towards the defence on the advice of his coach who saw him struggling as a forward.
- Ruben is an avid dog lover and has a pet dog named Simba.
Rúben Dias’s photo with his dog
- In 2008, Ruben moved to Benfica’s youth academy. He initially started playing as a midfielder but later switched to defending.
- Rúben was supported by his grandfather to play football professionally in his childhood. His grandfather used to drop him at the football academy for training at the Lisbon-based club S.L. Benfica. He used to wait there for four to five hours every day so that Ruben could finish his training and he could take him back home.
- Ruben played for Benfica B, in the Portuguese second division in his first season as a professional football player.
Photo of Rúben Dias during his young days at Benfica’s youth team
- Ruben got the exposure of the Champions League football for the first time in 2016 when he was picked for Benfica’s UEFA Champions League Round of 16-second leg tie against Zenit Saint Petersburg. He was selected in the first-team squad because of the unavailability of three out of four centre-backs of the first team.
- While growing up, Ruben idolized John Terry, Nemanja Vidić, Rio Ferdinand, and Vincent Kompany. He looked up to them as a football player and tried to emulate their playing style, as he always fantasized about playing in the Premier League.
- Ruben made his debut for Benfica’s first team on 16 September 2017 against Boavista in a Primeira Liga match. Following his debut, he had a good stretch of two months in which he gave impressive performances but later he got sidelined for a month due to appendicitis surgery.
- Ruben has represented Portugal’s youth side at under-16, under-17, under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels.
- Ruben’s first goal for Benfica came against Vitória de Setúbal on 29 December 2017 in a Taça da Liga fixture. He scored his first Primeira Liga goal on 3 February 2018 against Rio Ave.
- In 2019, Ruben won the UEFA Nations League Finals with the Portugal national football team. He won the Man of the Match award in the final and was also named in the team of the tournament.
Rúben Dias posing with the UEFA Nations League trophy
- Rúben joined Manchester City from Benfica in a deal reportedly worth €68 million ($67m) in September 2020, making him the second most expensive Portuguese player to leave the domestic league.
- Ruben made his English Premier League debut on 3 October 2020 against Leeds United in a 1-1 away fixture. He scored his first goal for Manchester City on 27 February 2021 against West Ham United.
- On 17 November 2020, Ruben scored his first international goal for Portugal during the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League match against Croatia. He scored a brace in the match helping Portugal win the match 3-2.
- Ruben was the first defender to win the FWA Footballer of the Year for the 2020-21 season since Steve Nicol in the 1988–89 season.
- In his first season, Ruben won the Premier League title, and EFL Cup and reached the final of the Champions League.
- Ruben played a crucial role with his leadership qualities and defensive performances in Manchester City’s historic treble-winning season of 2022-23. It was also the first-ever UEFA Champions League title won by Manchester City in their history.
Photo of Rúben Dias celebrating while lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy
- Ruben likes to maintain his fitness and hits the gym on a regular basis.
Photo of Rúben Dias during the training session in the gym
- Ruben likes to travel and explore various places around the world.
- As of May 2025, Ruben has 4.2 million followers on Instagram and 3.1 million followers on Facebook.
