If there is one image that characterises João Neves on the pitch, it is that of his shirt always tucked into his shorts. The habit began in his childhood, when the Portuguese player was playing in the Algarve and there were two rules for taking to the pitch – the shirt tucked into the shorts and socks below the knee: “Tucking my shirt into my shorts was a rule I had to follow in the youth teams when I played for CFT in the Algarve. There were always two rules for playing: shirt tucked into shorts and socks below the knee. Ever since then, I’ve followed this rule to the letter and have ended up getting used to it. I can’t say whether it’s more comfortable to play with my shirt tucked in or out, but these days I always play with it tucked in. I’m used to it and it’s ended up becoming my trademark.” (SL Benfica)

But the habit also has a lot to do with the way Neves was brought up. The son of a PE teacher and a police officer who also coached young people at Casa Benfica, he grew up in an environment characterised by sport, discipline and organisation. It was precisely at the football academy linked to Benfica that he began playing, before being invited to train at the club’s regional development centre. At the age of 11, he left his family to live at the Benfica Campus, on the outskirts of Lisbon.

His father played a central role in his journey, both on and off the pitch: “My father was a police officer, so everything always had to be in order, and I’ve carried that with me into adulthood. I don’t think I’d have got to where I am today if I hadn’t had such a strict upbringing. I wouldn’t have the perseverance and resilience that I have.” (UEFA)

That is why, for Neves, tucking one’s shirt into one’s shorts goes far beyond a mere preference. It is a matter of discipline and, above all, of respect: “My father always said I should keep my shirt tucked into my shorts, because that is a sign of respect for ourselves and for our opponents. It’s your shirt and it represents you. When it comes out, I try to tuck it back in as quickly as possible. I don’t feel right when it’s untucked.” (The New York Times)

What began as a rule in his childhood ended up becoming one of Neves’s trademarks – and also a small reflection of the values he carried with him from childhood into adulthood.

Now, at the age of 21, the Portuguese player has just received his second nomination for the Ballon d’Or award, yet another recognition of a career he began building from a very young age.