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Joao Neves is busy rubber stamping his quality at the Club World Cup

Joao Neves is busy rubber stamping his quality at the Club World Cup

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Four weeks after defeating Inter Milan 5-0 to clinch their first-ever UEFA Champions League title, Paris Saint-Germain faced off against a different Inter in Atlanta: Inter Miami. Just like in Munich, PSG opened the game by booting the kick-off into Miami’s half of the pitch, which, rather than ending up as a throw-in, trickled out for a goal kick. It would be the last bit of good fortune that Miami were afforded in the entire match.

By Zach Lowy

Just like they did in Bavaria, where they scored twice within the first 20 minutes, Les Parisiens dominated proceedings and prevented their opponent from advancing into enemy territory thanks to a ruthless counter-pressing approach as well as precise and fluid passing interchanges, constantly menacing a Miami defense that was hanging on for dear life from start to finish.

The French champions took the lead after six minutes as João Neves sprinted from the edge of the box into the near post and latched onto Vitinha’s free kick with a bullet header. Neves completed 53 out of 56 passes (three out of three long balls and seven passes into the final third), won two out of two ground duels, and made five recoveries, whilst both of his shots ended up in the back of the net. PSG doubled the lead in the 39th minute as Fabián Ruiz robbed Sergio Busquets of possession, combining with Bradley Barcola before teeing up Neves, who coolly slotted home. From that point onwards, the levees had given way to PSG’s attacking tsunami, with Luis Enrique’s side adding two more goals before halftime to consolidate the 4-0 victory.

It was yet another world-class display from Neves, who won FotMob’s Player of the Match award as well as the more official Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match award. Whilst Inter Miami’s eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi was kept off the score sheet, Neves became the first non-French player since Messi in October 2022 to score a brace for PSG in an international club competition. It was yet another reminder of why the Portuguese youngster belongs in the conversation for the best box-to-box midfielder in world football alongside the likes of Federico Valverde, Nicolò Barella, Declan Rice, Frenkie de Jong and Joshua Kimmich.

Despite being just 20 years of age, Neves plays football with an elegance and wisdom far more befitting of a player 10 years his senior, extricating himself from congested areas with ease and setting the bar for the rest of his teammates with an incredible diligence and aggression out of possession. Whether he’s challenging for an long ball or lunging in for a last-ditch tackle, Neves shows no fear whatsoever, ranking third in PSG’s squad for blocks per 90 (0.4) and interceptions per 90 (1.1) in the 2024/25 Ligue 1 season as well as fourth for successful tackles per 90 (1.5). And despite standing just 5’9”, Neves has made aerial duels one of his fortes, winning 64.7% of his aerial battles (22 in total).

Neves player traits comparison

Speaking to FotMob after the match, Neves admitted, “Most of the time, I try to jump and anticipate the play before my opponent can do so, which shows that it’s not all about size. I think that’s what I try to do, perhaps because I had so many difficulties competing in aerial duels when I was growing up, but with the amount of times that I’ve worked on it in training sessions and games, I’m continuing to improve and continue to see how I can be even better in that regard.”

Born in Tavira, Portugal, Neves spent a decade in Benfica’s youth development system before making his first-team debut on January 1, 2023. He immediately became one of the first names on the team sheet under Roger Schmidt, filling Enzo Fernández’s creative void following his transfer to Chelsea, relegating Florentino Luís to the bench, and proving vital as Benfica eked out their first league title in four years. Neves confirmed those positive sensations in 2023/24, winning the Liga Portugal Midfielder of the Month on six out of seven occasions and earning a spot in the Liga Portugal Team of the Season.

It was enough to see PSG acquire him for €59.9 million plus €10 million in potential add-ons, sending Renato Sanches the other way on loan. Neves didn’t take long to make that seem a bargain, setting a Ligue 1 record for the most assists (four) in his first two matches and becoming a vital cog of PSG’s midfield trio alongside Fabián and Vitinha.

Neves has played 56 times in his debut season at PSG

“Neves doesn’t lead any of the big metrics for midfielders, but he’s extremely good on the ball and plays with no fear when having to make a tackle or win an aerial duel,” stated Ethan, a lifelong PSG supporter from Boise, Idaho. “His biggest assets are his technical ability and his courage and tenacity. He dribbles very well but often links up with our attackers more often in the final third due to playing higher up the pitch than Vitinha, who is usually the deepest midfielder, whilst Ruiz doesn’t contribute defensively anywhere near as much as Neves.”

“You could make the argument that Neves is our most balanced player in the entire squad; he’s relegated Warren Zaïre-Emery to the bench thanks to his superior attacking threat, and he’s arguably as good as peak Marco Verratti. Verratti was my favorite player of the QSI era, but Neves is far better than he ever was in the air and final third…if he’s not there yet, he will be by the time he’s 23.”

Over the past six months, João Neves has won the Ligue 1 championship, the Coupe de France, the Trophée des Champions and the UEFA Champions League with PSG, as well as the UEFA Nations League with Portugal, and he’ll be seeking to add yet another piece of silverware this month. PSG will face German champions Bayern Munich in Atlanta on Saturday in a rematch of their first-ever Champions League Final. They have a chance to not only avenge their 2020 defeat, but also set up a semifinal showdown with either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Paris Saint-Germain have already established themselves as the kings of Europe – but can they confirm their status as the kings of the world? Expect Neves to play his part as PSG pursue a date with destiny.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow the every game from the Club World Cup on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Joao Neves is busy rubber stamping his quality at the Club World Cup

Four weeks after defeating Inter Milan 5-0 to clinch their first-ever UEFA Champions League title, Paris Saint-Germain faced off against a different Inter in Atlanta: Inter Miami. Just like in Munich, PSG opened the game by booting the kick-off into Miami’s half of the pitch, which, rather than ending up as a throw-in, trickled out for a goal kick. It would be the last bit of good fortune that Miami were afforded in the entire match.

By Zach Lowy

Just like they did in Bavaria, where they scored twice within the first 20 minutes, Les Parisiens dominated proceedings and prevented their opponent from advancing into enemy territory thanks to a ruthless counter-pressing approach as well as precise and fluid passing interchanges, constantly menacing a Miami defense that was hanging on for dear life from start to finish.

The French champions took the lead after six minutes as João Neves sprinted from the edge of the box into the near post and latched onto Vitinha’s free kick with a bullet header. Neves completed 53 out of 56 passes (three out of three long balls and seven passes into the final third), won two out of two ground duels, and made five recoveries, whilst both of his shots ended up in the back of the net. PSG doubled the lead in the 39th minute as Fabián Ruiz robbed Sergio Busquets of possession, combining with Bradley Barcola before teeing up Neves, who coolly slotted home. From that point onwards, the levees had given way to PSG’s attacking tsunami, with Luis Enrique’s side adding two more goals before halftime to consolidate the 4-0 victory.

It was yet another world-class display from Neves, who won FotMob’s Player of the Match award as well as the more official Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match award. Whilst Inter Miami’s eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi was kept off the score sheet, Neves became the first non-French player since Messi in October 2022 to score a brace for PSG in an international club competition. It was yet another reminder of why the Portuguese youngster belongs in the conversation for the best box-to-box midfielder in world football alongside the likes of Federico Valverde, Nicolò Barella, Declan Rice, Frenkie de Jong and Joshua Kimmich.

Despite being just 20 years of age, Neves plays football with an elegance and wisdom far more befitting of a player 10 years his senior, extricating himself from congested areas with ease and setting the bar for the rest of his teammates with an incredible diligence and aggression out of possession. Whether he’s challenging for an long ball or lunging in for a last-ditch tackle, Neves shows no fear whatsoever, ranking third in PSG’s squad for blocks per 90 (0.4) and interceptions per 90 (1.1) in the 2024/25 Ligue 1 season as well as fourth for successful tackles per 90 (1.5). And despite standing just 5’9”, Neves has made aerial duels one of his fortes, winning 64.7% of his aerial battles (22 in total).

Neves player traits comparison

Speaking to FotMob after the match, Neves admitted, “Most of the time, I try to jump and anticipate the play before my opponent can do so, which shows that it’s not all about size. I think that’s what I try to do, perhaps because I had so many difficulties competing in aerial duels when I was growing up, but with the amount of times that I’ve worked on it in training sessions and games, I’m continuing to improve and continue to see how I can be even better in that regard.”

Born in Tavira, Portugal, Neves spent a decade in Benfica’s youth development system before making his first-team debut on January 1, 2023. He immediately became one of the first names on the team sheet under Roger Schmidt, filling Enzo Fernández’s creative void following his transfer to Chelsea, relegating Florentino Luís to the bench, and proving vital as Benfica eked out their first league title in four years. Neves confirmed those positive sensations in 2023/24, winning the Liga Portugal Midfielder of the Month on six out of seven occasions and earning a spot in the Liga Portugal Team of the Season.

It was enough to see PSG acquire him for €59.9 million plus €10 million in potential add-ons, sending Renato Sanches the other way on loan. Neves didn’t take long to make that seem a bargain, setting a Ligue 1 record for the most assists (four) in his first two matches and becoming a vital cog of PSG’s midfield trio alongside Fabián and Vitinha.

Neves has played 56 times in his debut season at PSG

“Neves doesn’t lead any of the big metrics for midfielders, but he’s extremely good on the ball and plays with no fear when having to make a tackle or win an aerial duel,” stated Ethan, a lifelong PSG supporter from Boise, Idaho. “His biggest assets are his technical ability and his courage and tenacity. He dribbles very well but often links up with our attackers more often in the final third due to playing higher up the pitch than Vitinha, who is usually the deepest midfielder, whilst Ruiz doesn’t contribute defensively anywhere near as much as Neves.”

“You could make the argument that Neves is our most balanced player in the entire squad; he’s relegated Warren Zaïre-Emery to the bench thanks to his superior attacking threat, and he’s arguably as good as peak Marco Verratti. Verratti was my favorite player of the QSI era, but Neves is far better than he ever was in the air and final third…if he’s not there yet, he will be by the time he’s 23.”

Over the past six months, João Neves has won the Ligue 1 championship, the Coupe de France, the Trophée des Champions and the UEFA Champions League with PSG, as well as the UEFA Nations League with Portugal, and he’ll be seeking to add yet another piece of silverware this month. PSG will face German champions Bayern Munich in Atlanta on Saturday in a rematch of their first-ever Champions League Final. They have a chance to not only avenge their 2020 defeat, but also set up a semifinal showdown with either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Paris Saint-Germain have already established themselves as the kings of Europe – but can they confirm their status as the kings of the world? Expect Neves to play his part as PSG pursue a date with destiny.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow the every game from the Club World Cup on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.