Benfica B Dias started his career at local club
Estrela da Amadora after being brought to the club by a close family member. He moved to
Benfica's youth academy in 2008, where he played initially as a
midfielder, before changing position to
centre-back for the
junior side until 2015. The following season he helped the B team finish fourth; the club's highest ever position obtained in the
second division. He also helped the junior team reach the final of the
2016–17 UEFA Youth League.
Benfica in 2019 On 16 September 2017, Dias debuted for the first team in a
Primeira Liga match against
Boavista. After two months of impressive displays, including two games against
Manchester United in the
Champions League, he underwent surgery due to
appendicitis, sidelining him for a month. He scored his first goal for
Benfica in a
Taça da Liga encounter (2–2) against
Vitória de Setúbal on 29 December 2017. On 3 February 2018, he scored his first goal in the
Primeira Liga against
Rio Ave (5–1). At the end of the season, he was voted Primeira Liga's best young player of the year. After heavy speculation linking Dias to a big money move to French side
Lyon, he extended his contract with Benfica until 2023. On 2 November 2019, Dias played his 100th game for the club and scored the opening goal against Rio Ave in a 2–0 home victory. On 26 September 2020, Dias scored the opening goal against
Moreirense in a 2–0 win. After the game, manager
Jorge Jesus admitted that it had likely been his last game for the club.
Manchester City 2020–2021: Debut season and European final Dias signed for English
Premier League club
Manchester City on 29 September 2020 on a six-year contract, with an initial fee reported of €68 million (£61.64 million) that could rise to €71.6 million with performance bonuses, plus
Nicolás Otamendi being sent to Benfica in part-exchange for €15 million bringing the net cost of the transaction to €56.6 million (£51 million). On 3 October 2020, Dias made his league debut for City in a 1–1 away draw against
Leeds United. Dias was named the Manchester City Player of the Month for November 2020, following a series of very strong defensive performances. On 27 February 2021, Dias scored his first goal for City in a 2–1 home league win over
West Ham United. He was praised as being a key factor in Manchester City regaining the Premier League title that season by bringing composure, leadership and stability back to the defence. Dias won the
FWA Footballer of the Year for the 2020–21 season, who described him as a "comfortable winner" ahead of
Harry Kane and
Kevin De Bruyne, and becoming the first defender to win the award since
Steve Nicol in the 1988–89 season. and the
Premier League Player of the Season.
2022–present: Consecutive league titles and Treble in 2023 On 15 September 2021, Dias captained Manchester City for the first time, providing an assist for
Jack Grealish in a 6–3 home
Champions League win against
RB Leipzig. On 1 December, Dias opened the scoring in Manchester City's 2–1 victory over
Aston Villa, with his first goal from outside the box in his career. On 4 March 2022, Manchester City manager
Pep Guardiola announced that Dias had suffered an hamstring injury, his first injury in five years, leading him to miss two months of the season, which included the second
Manchester Derby of the season, Manchester City's second leg of their
Champions League round of 16 tie against
Sporting CP and
Portugal's
qualification play-offs for the
2022 FIFA World Cup. He made his return from injury on 20 April, replacing
Nathan Aké in the 46th minute in a 3–0 victory over
Brighton & Hove Albion. On 7 May, Dias suffered another hamstring injury during a match against
Newcastle United, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Over the course of the
2022–23 campaign, Dias started and completed almost every minute for Manchester City, playing a major part in their campaign, as City secured their first ever Champions League trophy and complete a
continental treble, following a 1–0 victory against
Inter Milan in the
Champions League final. On 22 August 2025, Dias signed a new four-year contract, keeping him at Manchester City until the summer of 2029. ==International career==