Biography
Who is Rúben Dias?
Early life and background
Rúben Dias dos Santos Gato Alves Dias was born on May 14, 1997, in Amadora, Portugal. Growing up, he played football wherever he could and looked up to defenders like John Terry, Nemanja Vidić, Rio Ferdinand, and Vincent Kompany. He has an older brother named Ivan, who is also a professional football player and nicknamed him Ruby.
Dias began his youth career at local club Estrela da Amadora, initially playing as a striker before switching to defence during a match when his team was losing by two goals. He moved to Benfica's youth academy in 2008, where he played initially as a midfielder before settling into the centre-back position for the junior side.
Club career beginnings
In 2015, Rúben began playing for Benfica B in a LigaPro match against Chaves. He made his senior team debut for Benfica on September 16, 2017, in a Primeira Liga match against Boavista. Following strong performances, he scored his first goal for the club against Vitória de Setúbal in December 2017.
During his time with Benfica, he won the league title in the 2018-19 season and the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira in the 2019-20 season. He made over one hundred appearances for the club before transferring to the Premier League.
Manchester City success
In September 2020, Rúben signed for English Premier League club Manchester City on a six-year contract for a reported fee of €68 million. In his first season, he helped the team win the league title and the EFL Cup, while also reaching the UEFA Champions League final.
His defensive performances earned him several individual honours in 2021, including FWA Footballer of the Year, Manchester City Player of the Year, and Premier League Player of the Season. Later, in the 2022-23 campaign, he played a vital role as City secured a historic continental treble by defeating Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
International career
Rúben represented Portugal at various youth levels, including the under-16, under-17, under-19, under-20, and under-21 squads. He served as captain for the under-19 squad at the European Championship and the under-20 team at the U-20 World Cup.
He made his senior international debut for Portugal in 2018 in a friendly match against Tunisia. He went on to play in multiple major tournaments, including FIFA World Cups and UEFA European Championships, and won the UEFA Nations League in 2019, where he was named man of the match in the final.
Birthday and age
Rúben Dias was born on May 14, 1997, which makes Rúben 29 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Rúben shares the date with 35 other famous people.
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