Who is Ruben Dias? Step into the life of Man City’s £65m Lisbon Lion in defence

Ruben Dias is Manchester City’s most reliable defender – quite simply the definition of a solid and calming presence at the back.

Brought in to replace Vincent Kompany a year after his departure, Ruben Dias immediately brought back the composure and resilience that was missing as Manchester City lost the Premier League title in the wake of their legendary captain’s exit.

Dias remains one of the first names on Pep Guardiola’s team sheet and has already enjoyed immense success at the Etihad Stadium.

What else is there to know about City’s Lisbon Lion? We’ve answered all your most frequently asked questions below.

How old is Ruben Dias and where is he from?

Ruben dos Santos Gato Alves Vias was born on May 14m 1997 in Amadora, Lisbon, Portugal.

As of April 2024, he is 26 years old.

Ruben Dias height and weight

Ruben Dias stands at 6 feet and one inch (186cm) tall and weighs 76kg, according to TNT Sports.

Though not the tallest defender, his athleticism and strength make it difficult for strikes to get past him.

Are Ruben Dias and Arabella Chi still together?

Ruben Dias began dating Arabella Chi in September 2023 and, according to the Daily Mail, the pair took a romantic trip to Paris together in January 2024.

They kept their relationship under wraps as it was ‘early days’ and it seemingly ended shortly afterwards.

Chi, 32, is a model and social media influence who took part in the fifth season of Love Island in 2019 and returned to the show earlier this year for the All-Stars edition in South Africa.

The Sun reported that when a member of Chi’s family was asked if she was still with Dias on a QnA on Instagram, they replied: “No it just didn’t work out.

“She’s back in the villa because she really wants to find the one.”

Dias was previously in a relationship with Portuguese pop star April Ivy but, according to The Sun, they split in 2021 due to ‘lifestyle differences.’

Instagram and X accounts

Ruben Dias has an official Instagram account with 3.8m followers. He often posts pictures of him in action for City or showing off his favourite outfits.

He also has an official X, formerly known as Twitter, account with 672,700 followers.

Ruben Dias weekly salary and contract

Ruben Dias is among City’s highest earners and is handsomely compensated with a weekly wage of £180,00 a week and has been since signing a new deal in August 2021.

The defender takes home an annual salary of £9.36m and is contracted until June 30, 2027.

Who has Ruben Dias played for?

Ruben Dias has only played for one professional team before joining Manchester City, Lisbon giants Benfica.

He initially joined the club when he was just 11 years old and rose through the ranks to play for the senior team.

How much did Ruben Dias cost Man City?

Manchester City paid £62m, rising to £65m, to sign Dias from Benfica in 2020.

Ruben Dias stats

Ruben Dias Man City career stats

Ruben Dias pre-Man City stats

International stats for Portugal

Trophies and honours

Man City trophies

Benfica trophies

International trophies

Individual honours

Ruben Dias kit number

Dias wears No.3 for City and has done so since he signed. He tends to wear No.4 for Portugal.

Is Ruben Dias Man City captain?

No, he is not. Dias is not Manchester City captain but he is in the leadership group.

Kyle Walker is the club’s skipper but Dias, along with Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and Bernardo Silva, are in the in the leadership group.