He was subsequently promoted to the first-team, making his professional debut at age 18, where he helped Benfica win the league title in his first season with them.

[4] Neves was a part of the Benfica U19 team which topped their 2021–22 UEFA Youth League group against Dynamo Kyiv, Barcelona and Bayern Munich,[5][6] and eventually won the tournament.

[9] During the league break to facilitate the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he made his unofficial debut for Benfica's first team on 11 December 2022, in a closed-doors friendly against Sevilla.

[10] During this time, Benfica's first team manager Roger Schmidt invited him to participate in several first-team training sessions, impressing him with his ability, dedication and maturity on the ball.

[16] Neves started the 2023–24 season, on 9 August, being named man of the match in the 2–0 victory over Porto in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.

[17] On 12 November, Neves scored the 94th minute equalizer in an eventual 2–1 league victory over rivals Sporting CP, at the Estádio da Luz;[18] while also receiving the Man of the Match award.

[21] Their offer was reportedly rejected and negotiations continued, with Benfica being adamant that he would not be sold for less than his €120 million release clause, despite PSG agreeing personal terms with Neves.

[28][29][30] On 16 August, Neves made his official debut in a 4–1 win over Le Havre, coming on as a substitute and assisting Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola's goals.

[40] On 6 October 2023, Neves was called up to the Portuguese team for the first time for UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Slovakia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

[48][49] Neves played as a deep-lying playmaker for Benfica, typically in a double pivot within a 4–2–3–1 formation, controlling possession by frequently dropping deep to receive the ball.