Thiago Silva

Thiago Emiliano da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [tʃiˈagʊ ˈsiw ɐ], born 22 September 1984) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Primeira Liga club Porto and the Brazil national team. Regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, Silva is known for his defensive ability, discipline, and leadership. Silva began his senior club career in 2002 playing as a midfielder for RS Futebol, and transitioned to a defensive position while at Juventude; he then signed with Porto in 2004, at age 19, and moved to Dynamo Moscow on loan, where he was hospitalized with a near fatal bout of tuberculosis. After recovering, he joined Fluminense and won a Copa do Brasil in 2007. In 2009, Silva moved to Italian side AC Milan for a reported fee of €8 million and won the 2010–11 Serie A title with the latter. In 2012, Silva was the subject of a then-record football deal when he signed for Paris Saint-Germain in a transfer worth up to €42 million, becoming the most expensive defender ever at the time. There, he would become the club's longest serving captain, winning seven Ligue 1 titles, six Coupes de la Ligue, five Coupes de France, and playing in the final of the UEFA Champions League, which served as his last PSG appearance. He currently ranks eighth in all-time appearances for the club. In 2020, the 36-year-old Silva joined Chelsea on a free transfer, winning the Champions League in his first season, and both the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in his second. Silva made his senior international debut for Brazil in 2008 at age 23, and has since received over 110 caps, including appearances in eight major tournaments. He earned a bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in 2008 and a silver in 2012, before serving as captain for Brazil on home soil as they won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and finished fourth at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Silva was also a member of the team that won the Copa América in 2019 and finished runners-up in 2021. He has not been called up to the Brazilian national football team since December 2022, but has not officially announced his retirement.