This Sunday, September 27—right in the middle of the September/October international break—Paris Saint-Germain has a small occasion to celebrate: the birthday of João Neves, the Portuguese midfielder who turns 22 today.
Having arrived from Benfica in 2024, Neves initially raised questions: was the €60 million PSG spent on him excessive? The answer came very quickly: no. In fact, it looks more like a bargain, given how quickly he has established himself at the highest level and become a vital asset for Paris.
He isn’t always the flashiest player—except when he’s pulling off acrobatic goals or free-kicks—but he puts in a phenomenal amount of defensive work. He does this with exceptional skill in aerial duels, both defensive and offensive, despite standing just 1.74 meters tall. He also excels at distributing the ball, rarely losing possession, while contributing several decisive plays each season.
Neves is still young and has a promising career ahead of him; hopefully, a major part of it will be spent at PSG. In the meantime, we wish him a very happy birthday.
