Born in Lobito, Angola, the defensive midfielder was raised in Benfica's academy, climbing every rung of the club's youth structure before stepping up to Benfica B in 2017.

He made his Primeira Liga debut in February 2019 and closed that campaign as a national champion. Seeking regular football, he spent 2020-21 on loan at Monaco and 2021-22 at Getafe, returning to the Estádio da Luz for 2022-23 to become a cornerstone of Roger Schmidt's side, screening the defence alongside Enzo Fernández as Benfica reclaimed the title. Admired for his positional discipline, reading of the game and ball-winning, he collected two Primeira Liga titles (2018-19 and 2022-23), three Supertaças Cândido de Oliveira (2019, 2023 and 2025) and the Taça da Liga in 2024-25.

A Portugal youth international across several age groups, he won the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2016 and the Under-19 title in 2018, and finished runner-up at the 2021 Under-21 Euro.

In September 2025 he moved to Burnley on loan, a transfer the English club made permanent in June 2026.