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What religion is Rúben Neves?
Rúben Neves is a Portuguese professional footballer who is a Christian.
Rúben Neves plays as a defensive midfielder for Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal and the Portugal national team. He is a product of the Porto youth academy. In 2014, he made his first-team debut at the age of 17 and became the club’s youngest-ever league goalscorer. In 2017, he joined the Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and spent six seasons before moving to Al-Hilal in 2023 for a fee of £47 million.
Neves’s personal achievements include winning the EFL Championship with Wolverhampton Wanderers, being named to the PFA Championship Team of the Year, and winning the Saudi Pro League, King Cup, and Saudi Super Cup with Al-Hilal. He has also represented Portugal at various youth and senior levels, most notably winning the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025 and playing at the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups, as well as UEFA Euro 2020 and 2024.
Saudi contract
In February 2026, Rúben Neves signed a three-and-a-half-year contract extension with the Saudi club, Al-Hilal. The deal comes with a massive weekly salary, reaching approximately €402,000, and this works out to around €20.92 million per year. Perhaps most importantly, his Saudi salary is 100% tax-free. So, over his extended tenure playing for Al-Hilal through June 2029, Rúben will pocket over $79 million without paying a single dime in taxes.
Neves actually sits just a step behind the league’s absolute top earners despite these massive numbers. In the Saudi Arabian wage structure, he stands directly below his Al-Hilal midfield teammate Sergej Milinković-Savić and Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney. Both of those stars command slightly higher base wages. They earn roughly €490,000 per week at the very peak of the league’s financial hierarchy.
Early life
Rúben Diogo da Silva Neves was born on March 13, 1997, in Mozelos, Portugal. He grew up supporting FC Porto and achieved a childhood dream by joining the club’s youth academy in 2005 when he was just eight years old. He later spent a short loan spell developing his game with Padroense during the 2012–13 season.
He progressed rapidly through the Porto youth development ranks, skipping multiple age categories due to his technical maturity. In January 2013, he formally returned to the Porto youth system to feature for the club’s under-17 side.
Porto
Neves made his first-team debut for Porto on 15 August 2014, aged 17 years and five months, after being called into the senior squad during pre-season following an injury to Mikel Agu. He scored on his debut against Marítimo to become the club’s youngest-ever league goalscorer, a record that remains intact. Just five days later, he became the youngest Portuguese player to feature in the UEFA Champions League, surpassing a milestone previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo.
On October 20, 2015, Neves made history again at 18 years and 221 days old. He became the youngest player ever to start a Champions League match as captain. He proudly led Porto to a 2–0 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv, breaking a record set by Rafael van der Vaart. Despite his historic individual breakthroughs and prominence at the club, he did not secure any major team honors during his senior career in Portugal.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
In July 2017, Neves joined English club Wolverhampton Wanderers for a transfer fee of €17.9 million. He scored his first goal for the club on 15 August 2017 during a 3–2 victory over Hull City. He played a key role in helping Wolves win the EFL Championship title in his very first season and earned selections in both the EFL Championship Team of the Season and the PFA Championship Team of the Year.
Following promotion, Neves helped the club establish its position in the top flight, contributing to an FA Cup semi-final appearance in 2019 and a run to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals in 2020. Over a six-season tenure at Molineux, during which he was appointed permanent club captain, Neves scored 30 goals in 253 appearances across all competitions before his subsequent move to the Saudi Pro League.
Al Hilal
In June 2023, Neves joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal SFC for a transfer fee of €55 million, with a contract period until June 30, 2029. In his debut season, he helped his club secure the Saudi Pro League title, the King’s Cup, and the Saudi Super Cup. On 4 February 2026, he extended his contract until 2029.
International career
Rúben Neves played for Portugal’s youth teams at every single level from the under-15s up to the under-23 squad. He played over 60 matches across those youth teams. As captain, he helped the under-17 side reach the semi-finals of the 2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship before featuring for the under-21 squad during their run to the final of the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
He made his senior international debut for the Portugal national team in November 2015 at age 18. Neves has since represented his country at three major international tournaments, including UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2024. Additionally, he helped Portugal secure the UEFA Nations League title in both the 2018–19 and 2024–25 editions.
Personal life
Rúben Neves and his partner, Débora Lourenço, are the proud parents of three children. His father was also a football player.