Far beyond the physical

João Neves is, today, one of the most complete midfielders in world football.

You only need to watch a PSG match to understand why. The Portuguese player, a two-time nominee for the Ballon d’Or and the ‘Young Male Talent of the Season’ awards, is tireless when it comes to pressing opponents and winning the ball back, but he also knows how to control the tempo of the game, find his teammates and set them up to create chances.

With or without the ball, Neves is intelligent, intense and always involved in the game. His presence on the pitch is so strong that, at times, it’s even easy to forget that the 21-year-old is only 1.74m tall.

In the current PSG squad, only one player is shorter: his compatriot Vitinha, who stands at 1.72m.

But Neves has never let his height hold him back. On the contrary: he has turned what could have been a weakness into one of his greatest assets.

And to understand how this came about, we need to go back to the beginning of the story.

A talent from Tavira

Neves was born on 27 September 2004 in the small, historic town of Tavira, on the Algarve coast in Portugal. His mother was a PE teacher, whilst his father worked as a police officer and, in his spare time, coached young players at a local football academy, which had informal links to Benfica.

It was there that Neves took his first steps in football. His talent soon caught the eye and, in 2016, at the age of 12, he was selected to join Benfica’s youth academy, on the outskirts of Lisbon.

To do so, he left Tavira and moved to the Portuguese capital, where he would spend the next four years developing his skills at one of the country’s leading youth academies.

And his qualities were hard to ignore. The youngster stood out both on and off the ball; he had excellent vision for playing decisive passes, impressive control in tight spaces, good tackling ability and practically boundless stamina. Initially a striker, his increasingly well-rounded game soon made him one of the most promising midfielders in the youth ranks.

But there was one issue that always cropped up: his height.

When his height became a cause for concern

Nuno Gomes, director of Benfica’s youth academy at the time, recalls: “João was always seen as a player of enormous potential, but his height and physique led some people to question whether he would be able to reach the very highest level.” (The New York Times)

Neves himself knew this was a cause for concern.

There wasn’t much he could do about it. He couldn’t just train and suddenly grow taller. That was the body he had – and he needed to learn to play with it.

And one of the main weapons he found to compete on equal terms with taller, stronger opponents was his intelligence.

“Football isn’t just about strength. It’s also about what’s in your head.” – João Neves

In his own words: “Sometimes people underestimate me because of my size and my lack of physical strength. But football is also about intelligence. When you don’t have the physical attributes to compete, you have to use your head. Football isn’t just about strength. It’s also about what’s in your head.” (The New York Times)

From then on, Neves worked even harder. Not just to play well, but to understand the game, anticipate what would happen before others did, and find ways to get to the ball first.

This mindset led him to constantly improve. Over the years, his reading of the game became increasingly sharp: he learnt to identify the right moment to tackle, win the ball back, shield the ball and find passes capable of breaking through defensive lines and catching opponents off guard.

Luis Castro, who coached Neves in Benfica’s Under-19s and reserve team, summed up this development well: “He was already a very complete player, but it was the mental aspect that made the difference.” (The New York Times)

And it was precisely this combination of talent and intelligence that began to open a door for Neves that would change his career.

The breakthrough at Benfica

The major turning point in Neves’s career came during the 2022 World Cup.

The tournament took place in December, in the middle of the European season, and Benfica, like many other clubs across the continent, were left short-handed. Several of their key players were called up by their national teams, making way for youngsters from the academy.

Faced with this situation, Roger Schmidt, then manager of the first team, asked Luis Castro to recommend some players from the reserve team who could be called up to join the senior squad.

Neves was the first name on the list.

Castro remembers that moment well: “I told my coaching staff that we wouldn’t be seeing him there anymore. I knew he wouldn’t be in the first team just to make up the numbers.” (The New York Times)

And Neves would soon prove that he was right.

Schmidt was impressed by Neves’s skills and, above all, by his understanding of the game. At 18, the Portuguese player already possessed the tactical awareness of a veteran: intelligent, composed and always alert to what was happening around him.

The manager wasted no time and made a point of ensuring the youngster stayed at the club. That very same month, Neves renewed his contract with Benfica.

In January 2023, he made his first-team debut. And, once again, he impressed.

A few months later, in March, Neves made his Champions League debut. He came on at half-time to replace João Mário and wasted no time in making his mark, providing an assist in the 5–1 thrashing of Club Brugge.

From then on, his increasingly consistent performances earned him a place in the starting line-up. The departure of the Argentine Enzo Fernández opened up even more opportunities for the young midfielder, who gradually became a regular in the team and eventually edged out Florentino Luís in the battle for a place in the starting XI.

“You need to be smarter, anticipate the play and always be one step ahead of your opponent.” – João Neves

His first goal came in May, in the Lisbon derby against Sporting. That same month, he also celebrated his first league title, as Benfica reclaimed the Portuguese Championship after a four-year wait.

A few months later, Neves was named Man of the Match in the 2–0 victory over Porto in the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup. Once again, he seemed to be one step ahead. He read the game like a book, anticipating the movements of teammates and opponents even before they happened.

The following season, now an undisputed first-team regular, Neves cemented his status once and for all as one of Portugal’s finest midfielders and was named in the league’s Team of the Year.

His rise had been rapid, but not accidental. Behind it lay precisely the quality that Neves had learnt to use in response to doubts about his physicality: intelligence. And Neves himself knows just how important it is: “I think football today is becoming increasingly tactical. Footballing intelligence, a sense of positioning and timing, as well as the ability to play with one or two touches, depending on the situation, have become some of the most important aspects of the game. Of course, stamina, strength and speed help with performance, but I don’t think they’re the most important factors. That’s my view of football: you need to be smarter, anticipate moves and always be one step ahead of your opponent.” (PSG)

This broad understanding of the game makes Neves an extremely versatile player, capable of adapting to different roles with ease. It was precisely one of the qualities that caught Luis Enrique’s eye and helped bring the Portuguese player to Paris Saint-Germain in August 2024. In the manager’s own words: “His qualities fit in with our ideas about the game, both with the ball and defensively. That’s what we’re looking for: players who are good on the ball and also in defence.” (The New York Times)

The perfect fit in Paris

In just two seasons in France, Neves has already won nine titles for the club, including two French League titles and two consecutive Champions League titles – the first in PSG’s history.

And the versatility that so impressed Luis Enrique has been fundamental to this success. Neves manages to be decisive both on and off the ball, adapts to different roles and helps organise the team in various formations and at different stages of the match. He is exactly the kind of player who suits PSG’s dynamic and unpredictable style.

The Portuguese player, incidentally, takes pride in this ability to adapt: “These days I can play as a centre-back, winger, full-back, midfielder or striker, and I don’t feel much difference, because every player knows what the others do in each position. In training, we swap positions a lot. Sometimes I play as a full-back and push forward into midfield. It might seem like a minor detail, but it’s actually very important. It’s the little things that, at the end of the day, make all the difference. We have a lot of possession in practically every match, so I might start as a full-back but end up playing more as a winger or midfielder.” (The New York Times)

However, versatility and intelligence alone do not explain the way Neves dominates matches. To understand this, another ingredient must be added: an almost inexhaustible willingness to run, press and compete.

You only need to watch a PSG match and keep an eye on the diminutive midfielder to realise one thing: João Neves simply never seems to stop.

Racing from one end of the pitch to the other throughout the 90 minutes, the Portuguese player is the true driving force in midfield. When he has the ball, he does everything he can to keep hold of it. When he doesn’t have it, he does everything he can to win it back. Or, as he himself explains: “It’s great to attack, but the feeling of winning the ball back from the opposition is different. Many players don’t understand this, but it’s that feeling of: ‘We don’t have the ball, so we need to win it back’. Even when you’re attacking, you need to think: ‘If we lose the ball, what can I do?’. Many people and many players don’t consider this part of the game to be that important, but if you want to spend more time attacking, you need to win the ball back when you lose it. In the five to ten seconds after losing the ball, you need to give 100 per cent, 120 per cent, because that’s the best way to get back into attack. It’s very difficult for the opposition to win the ball back only to lose it again straight away. That’s why this part of the game is so satisfying.’ (The New York Times)

This mindset fits perfectly with Luis Enrique’s philosophy. And that is precisely why Neves enjoys playing in the experienced Spanish manager’s system so much: “The less time our opponents have to catch their breath, the better for us! Luis Enrique wants a team that gives 100 per cent when attacking and 120 per cent when defending. That’s why I’m here and why I’m enjoying it so much.” (The New York Times)

It’s not just a nice turn of phrase. Neves has turned that philosophy into statistics.

The driving force behind PSG

During PSG’s first successful Champions League campaign in 2025, he was one of only two players – alongside teammate Nuno Mendes – to win over 100 duels in the tournament. Furthermore, he finished the competition with 57 tackles, the highest number recorded by a player in a single edition since the 2007–08 season.

In the 2026 final against Arsenal, Neves once again dominated the intensity statistics. He was the player who won the most duels (16), had the most touches in the opposition’s penalty area (11), was fouled the most (7), won the most aerial duels (6) and made the most tackles (3).

He simply never seems to tire.

And it’s no different when he pulls on the Portugal shirt, with whom he won the UEFA Nations League in 2025. At the 2026 World Cup, Neves became the youngest central midfielder to start a match for Portugal in the tournament’s history and was also the Portuguese player who ran the furthest, covering 51.4 km throughout the competition.

Behind this intensity, however, lies something even deeper: a focus that seems to cut Neves off from everything happening around him.

The mind behind the intensity

For Neves, football is not exactly a ‘game’, at least not whilst he is on the pitch. However much the sport may, at the end of the day, be a source of joy for players and fans alike, those 90 minutes represent, for him, hard work and absolute focus: “When you’re playing, you don’t sit there wondering whether you’re enjoying yourself or not. You’re focused on doing your best, making the best decisions and doing what’s best for the team. But, in the end, you look back on what you’ve done and think: ‘Yeah, I did have fun out there.’” (The New York Times)

“I switch off from what’s going on around me and concentrate solely on what’s happening on the pitch.” – João Neves

And the most important part lies precisely in that ‘at the end’. For Neves, the fun comes after the final whistle, not during the match: “When I’m in the stadium, even with the fans shouting very loudly, the applause and the chants are almost inaudible. I switch off from everything around me and focus solely on what’s happening on the pitch.” (SL Benfica)

It is this ability to shut out everything around him and stay focused on what is happening on the pitch that helps explain how such a young player manages to sustain such intensity for 90 minutes.

But where does such dedication come from?

How does such a young player manage to demonstrate such a high level of discipline and maturity?

Part of the answer lies in his upbringing.

As Neves himself explains: “My father was a police officer, so everything always had to be in order, and I’ve carried that into my adult life. I don’t think I’d be where I am today if it weren’t for that strict upbringing. I wouldn’t have the perseverance and resilience that I have. I remember we used to go for runs during lockdown, during the pandemic, when we were training at home. The plan was to walk for 15 seconds and run for 15, but my dad, without telling me, would make me run for 17 seconds and rest for just 13. I had no idea and thought I was following the normal 15-and-15 routine. That story alone gives you an idea of what my childhood was like.” (UEFA)

Neves credits his father, who also worked as a coach, with instilling many of the values that have shaped his career. His experience as a police officer and as a coach helped him to instil in his son, from an early age, a combination of discipline, hard work and determination.

“The most important thing isn’t scoring goals, it’s winning.” – João Neves

These principles are evident even in the smallest details. One example is Neves’ habit of always tucking his shirt into his shorts. For him, this represents professionalism and respect – something his father had insisted on ever since his son was playing at his very first football academy.

These are the same values that help explain why Neves never seems satisfied with simply reaching the top. For him, getting there is just the beginning. He keeps working, keeps running and keeps striving for more, without ever resting on his laurels: “My father always told me that the hardest part isn’t getting there, but staying at the top. So, once you’ve got there, the hardest thing is to maintain that standard. And, above all, because the most important thing isn’t scoring goals, it’s winning.” (PSG)

Perhaps that is precisely where all the pieces of the story finally fall into place.

It was this combination of intelligence, versatility, dedication and discipline that transformed Neves into the player we know today: dominant and imposing not because of his size, but in spite of it. As the Portuguese player himself explains: “That actually worked in my favour! In a one-on-one situation, my opponents thought they’d easily get the better of me. So they were taken aback by my commitment, because I always give 100 per cent, in every challenge and in every aspect of the game, even on set pieces. As I’m the shortest player, I’m not necessarily the first one opponents will mark. So I made the most of that, working on my positioning and my timing. After that, it was a matter of repeating it in training and in matches. I wanted to perfect it, until it became something natural, instinctive.” (PSG)

And all that hard work clearly paid off.

Short in stature, a giant on the pitch

Today, Neves’s physique is no longer a limitation. He is able to take on much taller players and pose a threat to defences that seem like giants beside him.

This was even more evident during the 2026 World Cup.

Right at the start of Portugal’s opening match against DR Congo, Pedro Neto, the Chelsea winger, lofted the ball into the box.

And who was there to finish it off? João Neves, at 1.74m.

Even up against centre-backs who stood, on average, at almost 1.88m, Neves once again demonstrated his intelligence and excellent timing. He anticipated the defence, rose at just the right moment and headed the ball into the top right-hand corner of the net.

The goal made him the third-youngest player to score for Portugal in World Cup history, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo in 2006 and Gonçalo Ramos in 2022.

In a matter of seconds, that move summed up much of João Neves’s story.

A player who cannot win through his height, but can win through his positioning. Who does not need to be the strongest to win a challenge, because he gets there first. Who runs more because he understands when he needs to run and thinks faster because he has learnt to anticipate the game.

In a football landscape often dominated by giant midfielders, PSG’s diminutive leader has shown that size need not define what a player can do on the pitch. With tireless dedication and a deep understanding of the game, Neves has turned what could have been a disadvantage into yet another of his strengths.

As he himself puts it: “Being underestimated has always given me an advantage.” (Onze Mondial)