Thiago Silva

For other people with the same name, see Thiago Silva (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Brazilian-born Bulgarian footballer Tiago Silva or Portuguese footballer Tiago Rafael Maia Silva.

This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Emiliano and the second or paternal family name is da Silva.

Thiago Silva

Thiago Silva playing for Brazil in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Thiago Emiliano da Silva
Date of birth	(1984-09-22) 22 September 1984
Place of birth	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height
Position(s)	Centre back
Team information
Current team	Paris Saint-Germain
Number	2
Youth career
1998	Fluminense
2000–2001	Barcelona
2001–2002	Fluminense
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2003	RS Futebol	25	(2)
2003–2004	Juventude	28	(3)
2004–2005	Porto B	14	(5)
2005–2006	Dynamo Moscow	0	(0)
2006–2008	Fluminense	81	(6)
2009–2012	Milan	93	(5)
2012–	Paris Saint-Germain	86	(5)
International career‡
2008–2012	Brazil Olympic	8	(0)
2008–	Brazil	58	(4)
Medal record Representing Brazil Men's Football Olympic Games 2012 London Team Competition 2008 Beijing Team Competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 03:09, 19 October 2015 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 June 2015

Thiago Emiliano da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [tʃiˈaɡu ẽmiliˈɐ̃nu dɐ ˈsiwvɐ]; born 22 September 1984), commonly known as Thiago Silva, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazilian national team.

After moving to Europe to join A.C. Milan in 2009, Silva established himself as one of the highest rated defenders in the world, winning the Serie A title with the Rossoneri in the 2010–11 season. In July 2012, Paris Saint-Germain signed him for a reported €42 million, making him then the second-most expensive defender in history behind Rio Ferdinand. With PSG, Silva has won three consecutive Ligue 1 championships, two consecutive Coupes de la Ligue and one Coupe de France.

A full international since 2008 and a non-playing member of their team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Silva captained Brazil to victory at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and fourth place at the World Cup a year later, both on home soil. He was also part of their squads for the two Olympic tournaments – winning a bronze in 2008 and silver four years later – and as many Copa América editions, earning over 50 caps in all.

Club career

Early career

As a youngster, Thiago Silva was admitted into a school in the Campo Grande neighbourhood of Rio – coincidentally a feeder school for Fluminense. At the age of 14, Silva impressed Fluminense coach Maurinho during a friendly in Xerem. He was given a short trial, where he was given the role of a defensive midfielder. Silva’s playing opportunities were little, and due to that he decided to trial for other clubs. In 1999, at the age of 15, Silva auditioned at Madureira, Olaria, and Flamengo. He was rejected at each club – the trial at Flamengo being the most difficult as Silva was not even observed by coaches.

After another unsuccessful trial at Botafogo, Silva was taken on by Barcelona, a small Brazilian club in the lower divisions. The following year, Silva played at a showcase tournament in São Paulo in the hope of attracting attention of bigger clubs. It is there where he was spotted by Paulo César Carpegiani, who invited him to join RS Futebol Clube in the south of Brazil. By 2001, Silva was a professional and competed in the Brazilian Third Division and other regional tournaments with the first team. In a tournament played in Ancona, Italy, Silva was spotted by Bruno Conti, a coach of AS Roma. Conti wanted him to play for Roma, but Silva did not accept the offer. Strong performances in his last season as a defensive midfielder led to Silva's move to Juventude.

Silva moved Juventude in 2004, where he played for six months. At 20 years old, Silva transitioned from midfield to defence under the tutelage of Ivo Wortmann. In his only season at Juventude, Silva was regarded as the revelation of the season. He was rated by Placar as the third-best defender in Brazil, and was included in the team of the season. Juventude had made a huge leap in league placement during Silva’s time at the club – from finishing 18th with 53 points in 2003, to finishing 7th with 70 points in 2004. Silva’s performances had caught the eye of many clubs with his outstanding performances, and he was sold to FC Porto.

Silva was bought by FC Porto for €2.5 million in 2004, but played only for the reserve team. After a year he joined Dynamo Moscow, where he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis and was hospitalised for six months. His illness became much worse over time and his doctors told him that if he had been hospitalized two weeks later, he could have died. During his recovery, Silva decided to retire from football but was persuaded to reconsider by his mother.

Fluminense

Silva returned to football with the help of his former coach, Ivo Wortmann. In 2006, Wortmann was signed as a coach by Fluminense; Wortmann requested to bring Silva with him, in spite of Silva's health issues. On January 14, Fluminense announced the signing of Silva from Porto. Fluminense struggled in the 2006 Brasileirão, finishing 15th out of 20 teams; however, Silva was described as one of the best players in the season. It is during this time where Silva developed the nickname of O Monstro — Portuguese for The Monster.

2007 was a much better year for Flu, and for Silva. Fluminense finished 4th place in the 2007 Brasileirão, conceding only 39 goals in 38 matches, enough for the second-best defence in Brazil. More importantly, Fluminense managed a historic victory in the 2007 Copa do Brasil, winning the prestigious trophy for the first time. Silva played a decisive part in the victory; he started in every match, and scored the opening goal in the quarter-final, as well as the equalising goal in the semi-final. Silva's form through the season led him to be selected into Dunga's preliminary squad for the 2007 Copa América. After winning the Copa do Brasil, Silva was recognised by fans as the best defender in Brazil. At the end of the season, Silva was one of three nominees for "best central defender", alongside Breno and Fábio Luciano. The voting results were unveiled on the 4th of December, and Silva was selected as the second-best central defender for the 2007 Brasileirão.

"Silva is a phenomenon."

—Dunga, 2008

2008 was a bad year for Flu, but Silva's best on an individual level. Having devoted much of their efforts towards the 2008 Copa Libertadores, Fluminense's league form suffered, finishing in 14th place. On January 18, Silva was rewarded by the Fluminense's board for his 100th match in the tricolor. He was awarded a shirt with the number "100" and a plaque in honour of his achievements. Silva became an idol for young Fluminense supporters with his level of performances — the white wristband that Silva would wear during matches became a trend amongst teenagers in Rio who supported the tricolor. In May 2008, four fans painted a flag of Silva to honour what they deemed "the best central defender in Brazil". It was first shown in the Copa Libertadores semi-final against Boca Juniors — Silva scored a crucial equaliser in the same match.

Silva was included in the 2008 Brasileirão Team of the Season and was selected as the Fans' Player of the Season. Silva was widely regarded as one of Fluminense's most important performers in the 2008 Copa Libertadores, reaching the finals only to lose on penalties to LDU Quito. Silva's form for Fluminense earned him a call-up to the Seleção, to take part in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Silva was linked with many clubs in 2008, including the likes of Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Villarreal; however, he decided to join the Brazilian contingent already at AC Milan. The transfer was confirmed on December 12. In his final match for Fluminense, Silva was cheered by 50,000 supporters who were witnessing his last performance at the Maracanã.

Milan

After a five-month chase and a four-hour negotiation period, Silva agreed to a move to Milan for a €10 million fee, with net wages of €2.5 million on a four-year contract. Although Silva could not play competitive matches, he was able to train with the first team. In his first month at Milan, he was taught new defending techniques from Paolo Maldini and Carlo Ancelotti. Silva played his first match for the Rossoneri in a friendly match against Hannover 96 on January 21, 2009; Silva played well, making ten tackles. His performance drew praise from Milan executive Adriano Galliani and teammate Clarence Seedorf. Silva was officially registered as a Milan player for the 2009-10 season.

2009–10 season

Silva played his first competitive match of the season against Siena on August 22, 2009. After the match, Silva was praised for a strong individual performance alongside teammate Alessandro Nesta. Milan legend Paolo Maldini claimed that Silva had the "physical and technical characteristics of a champion", and Nesta said that Silva would "extend my life as a central defender". On September 23, Silva left training with a muscle strain; he was inactive for the next four matches. In October, Silva followed a poor performance against Roma with two great displays against Real Madrid; Silva also had a wrongly disallowed goal in Milan’s away victory.

"Thiago Silva will extend my life as a central defender."

—Alessandro Nesta, 2009

On November 8, Silva scored a goal, and an own-goal in a 2–1 victory over Lazio. Silva's quick transition to European football was met with a lot of interest from Italian media — the investment of €10 million to acquire Silva was regarded as a good decision; La Gazzetta dello Sport, the largest daily newspaper in Italy, claimed that Silva's value had doubled at that point. On November 25, Silva put in a man of the match performance against Olympique de Marseille to secure passage into the knock-out stages of the UEFA Champions League. In a match against FC Zürich on December 8, Silva was substituted after 20 minutes with a muscle injury. It was suspected that Silva tore a muscle, and would miss up to two months; however, after clinical examinations, the injury was found to be a strain rather than a tear. On December 30, Silva was pronounced to be fully fit by Milan doctor Massimo Manara.

On January 10, 2010, Milan defeated Juventus by a score of 3–0; Silva was rated as one of the best performers on the day, and La Gazzetta dello Sport compared the understanding of Silva and Nesta to the legendary duo of Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta. On January 15, Silva's teammate Alexandre Pato claimed that Silva would become the best defender in the world. In a match against Udinese on February 12, Silva picked up a muscle injury. This left him in doubt for Milan's Champions League match against Manchester United. On March 6, Silva was selected as man of the match in a 0–0 draw with fellow Scudetto challengers Roma. At the end of the season, Silva was rated as the third-best central defender in the 2009–10 Serie A by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

2010–11 season

Silva's season began with a goal against Lecce in the first match of the season. In a 3–1 victory over Chievo Verona on October 16, Silva was forced to leave the match with a sprained left ankle. The injury forced Silva to miss a UEFA Champions League match against Real Madrid — Milan CEO Adriano Galliani jokingly said after the match that he would give Silva his healthy foot in order to see him play at the Santiago Bernabéu. Silva was inactive for four matches due to his injury. After returning from his injury, he was to play in the Derby della Madonnina against city rivals and treble winners Inter Milan. Matched against UEFA Club Footballer of the Year winner Diego Milito, Silva nullified his efforts and played a key role in Milan's 1–0 victory. In a 0–2 loss to Ajax in the Champions League, Silva suffered a right knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery. Initially feared to be a serious injury, it only kept Silva away for one month. At the midpoint of the season, Silva was regarded as the best defender in the Serie A, and the best in Europe.

"I think that Thiago Silva is the best defender in the world. It is incredible how good he really is. Thiago Silva is part of a new generation of phenomenal players who are perhaps born once every 100 years."

—Filippo Inzaghi, 2011

Forced to play as an emergency defensive midfielder due to an injury crisis, Silva played extraordinarily well against Cesena, a match which Milan won 2–0. Silva's performance brought comparisons to legendary Milan midfielder Marcel Desailly. In his next match, Silva was rated as the best player in Milan's 2–1 victory over Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia quarter-final. The midfield 'experiment' continued in a 0–0 draw against Lazio — this time Silva was compared to another legendary Milan midfielder, Frank Rijkaard. Silva was lauded by Italian media for his display against Napoli, marking out star striker Edinson Cavani. Milan won by a scoreline of 3–0. One publication claimed that Silva and Nesta "made a ghost" of Cavani, whereas another claimed that Cavani had a "nightmare".

In the match that sealed the Scudetto for Milan, Silva anchored the Rossoneri to a 3–0 victory in the Derby della Madonnina against longtime rivals Inter Milan. At the end of the season, Silva extended his contract to June 2016. Silva managed to complete the entire 2010–11 Serie A having earned only one yellow card, and having committed 26 fouls in 33 total matches. Silva's individual season was met with praise from all across Europe. In a fan vote, Silva was selected as Milan Player of the Season, with 66.6% of the vote. La Gazzetta dello Sport rated him as the Player of the Season. Silva was selected as Goal's Serie A Player of the Season. He was also voted as the best defender in the league by Italian media and his fellow professionals.

2011–12 season

File:Thiago silva 4 commons 2.jpg

Thiago Silva contesting a ball against Siena, on 17 December 2011

Milan's season began with a 2–1 victory over rivals Inter in the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana; Silva was the best defender in the match and was one of the best overall performers — he made a decisive last-man tackle on Samuel Eto'o to deny a clear chance in the first half. Milan began the 2011-12 Serie A in poor form, winning only two points in the first three matches; however, Silva was one of the better players in the draws against Lazio and Udinese. In a Champions League group-stage match against FC Barcelona, Silva and Nesta were crucial in the 2–2 result. Both defenders were regarded as two of the best performers by Italian and Catalan media. Silva scored the 90th-minute equaliser — his former coach Carlo Ancelotti predicted that Silva would score that goal.

A knee contusion in a 3–0 victory over Palermo on October 15 kept Silva out for two matches. In Silva's 75th Serie A match for Milan on November 19, he was vital in maintaining a clean sheet against Fiorentina. The next week, Silva was named captain against Chievo Verona — becoming the first foreign captain in 50 years for Milan. In the 4–0 demolition at the San Siro, Silva scored his first goal as captain; teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović scored his 100th Serie A goal in the same match. On December 1, Silva was shortlisted for the FIFPro World XI. 1994 World Cup-winning coach Carlos Alberto regarded Silva as the best Brazilian footballer in Europe.

On January 9, Silva was compared to Milan's greatest player Franco Baresi by Gennaro Gattuso. On January 13, teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović claimed that Silva was the best defender he had ever played with. Silva was voted into the 2011 UEFA Team of the Year on January 18. Silva was selected as Man of the Match in a 0–0 draw against Napoli in February. In Milan's 4–0 win over Arsenal in the Champions League Round of 16, Silva successfully marked out Robin van Persie, who was in a great run of form. Silva played his last full league match for Milan on March 17 against Parma, playing an important role in the 2–0 victory. Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidić said that Silva was the best defender in the world in an interview on March 22.

"It’s difficult to identify where he can still improve. He has already proven to have everything."

—Franco Baresi, 2012

On March 24, Silva was forced out of a match against Roma after 10 minutes due to a serious injury. Although Milan originally claimed Silva would be out for four weeks, but instead he was injured for seven weeks. He missed the Champions League quarter-finals against Barcelona; Milan were beaten 1–3 on aggregate without him. Without Silva, Milan stuttered in the league and lost the Scudetto to rivals Juventus. It was argued that Silva's injury was the turning point in the title race — with Silva, Milan won 2.37 out of a possible 3 points per match; without Silva, Milan won 2.09 out of a possible 3 points per match. Silva's strong season finished in another nomination to the Serie A Team of the Year, being joint-best central defender alongside Juventus stalwart Andrea Barzagli. He was also regarded as one of the best defenders in Italy by multiple independent publications.

Paris Saint-Germain

The negotiations to bring Silva to Paris Saint-Germain took place at the end of the 2011–12 season. The saga took over a month to complete. On June 11, 2012, it was reported that Milan legend Paolo Maldini would convince Silva to join PSG in the summer. Major French newspaper L'Équipe claimed that a transfer would be completed by the 15th of June. The same day, PSG sporting director — and former Milan coach — Leonardo officially declared interest in acquiring Silva. The next day, Milan general director Ariedo Braida claimed that Silva was not for sale. On June 13, Maldini refuted claims that he would play a part in Silva's transfer, asserting the fact that he would never convince Silva to leave. Milan president Silvio Berlusconi mentioned a potential transfer on June 13, saying that Silva needed to be sold for €46 million in order to balance the accounts. However, the next day, Berlusconi confirmed that Silva would be staying at Milan. Transfer news slowed down, and on July 2, Milan extended Silva's contract to 2017. Twelve days later, Silva's transfer to PSG was confirmed. The transfer fee was rumoured to be around €42 million, which would have made Silva the most expensive defender in football history. Silva has repeatedly stressed the fact that he never pushed for a transfer, and that he was happy at Milan. Silva even mentioned that he would like to return to Milan later in his career.

2012–13 season

Silva playing for Paris Saint-Germain in 2013

At his arrival, Silva was presented to the media as the "best defender in the world" by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi. PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted to French media that Silva came to the club injured, and would not be able to participate immediately in matches. 13 days later, Silva was declared fit to play, in time for a Champions League group-stage match against Dynamo Kyiv. On his début, Silva scored the second goal in PSG's 4–1 victory. Silva played his first league match against Bastia, which PSG dominated by a scoreline of 4–0. On October 20, Silva was played as a central midfielder in PSG's 1–0 win over Reims; Silva was commended for his display by teammate Salvatore Sirigu. Silva scored his second goal for the club in Le Classique — the derby between PSG and Olympique Marseille. Silva was praised for his defensive display in the match. On December 16, Silva was praised for shackling Lyon forward Lisandro López in PSG's 1–0 win. For the 2012 football year, Silva was inducted into the UEFA Team of the Year for the second consecutive year.

In Silva's first match after the winter break, he was injured in PSG's 0–0 draw against Ajaccio; the MRI confirmed damage to his left bicep, and Silva's recovery time was listed at three weeks. It was found that Silva's injury was more serious than initially diagnosed, and as a result Silva was actually inactive for almost two months. Silva made his return in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Valencia. Silva was outstanding in this match, being lauded heavily in France for an "extraterrestrial effort" against the Spanish side. In PSG's 1–0 victory over reigning champions Montpellier, Silva was regarded as the man of the match with a flawless defensive display. Silva received the Ligue 1 Player of the Month award for March, with 71% of the vote, after several fantastic performances. This was followed by a unanimously-exalted performance against Barcelona, where Silva was described as "a wall" by French and Catalan media. Carlo Ancelotti claimed after the match that Silva was the best defender in the world, saying that Silva had all the ability to win the Ballon d'Or. PSG legend Ricardo Gomes claimed that Silva was one of Brazil's best-ever defenders, as well as saying that Silva was the best defender in the history of the club. In the return leg, Silva was again praised by Catalan media for a world-class performance.

"He is the Messi of defenders. The question is no longer if he is the best defender in the world, because he is quite simply one of the best players in the world — better than Cannavaro when he won the Ballon D'Or."

—Alain Roche, 2013

Silva continued his run of great performances in PSG's tight 1–0 victory against Troyes. Silva's season came to an end on May 5, when he received a straight red-card in a match against Valenciennes. He motioned to the referee, and put his hands on the referee's shoulder, which the referee deemed as a red-card offence. It was deemed to be a very harsh decision, with former referee Alain Sars claiming the expulsion was severe. sporting director Leonardo said that the expulsion was "unacceptable", and coach Carlo Ancelotti said that he did not understand the reason for the expulsion. Nevertheless, at the end of the season Silva was voted into the 2012–13 Ligue 1 Team of the Year for his level of play throughout the season. Silva was also shortlisted for the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award, alongside teammates Blaise Matuidi and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Over the course of the season, Silva committed an extremely-low 14 fouls, which was mentioned as an excellent total for a defender in Le Parisien. Silva was considered the best defender in Ligue 1 by France Football.

2013–14 season

Silva's season began with a 2–1 victory in the French Supercup against Bordeaux; Silva was voted as man of the match for his display. It was the first time PSG had won the trophy since 1998. On 22 August 2013, it was announced that Silva had signed a one-year extension to his contract with PSG, keeping him at the club until 2018. In the rematch at the Stade Chaban-Delmas, Silva put in another good performance as PSG won 2–0 over Bordeaux. Silva was forced off the field in the 16th minute against Monaco due to a left hamstring injury which kept him out for six weeks. Coming back from his injury, Silva played extremely well against Nice, out-dueling the league's second top-scorer, Darío Cvitanich. Silva had an unusual run of scoring form, netting three times in seven matches. Silva scored in PSG's 4–0 victory over Lyon, 5–0 victory over Sochaux, and 4–0 victory over Nantes. France Football rated Silva as the best central defender in Ligue 1 at the half-way point of the season. At the end of the 2013 football year, Silva was inducted into the 2013 UEFA Team of the Year for the third consecutive year., making him joint-fifth in all-time appearances. Silva was also voted by his fellow professionals in the 2013 FIFPro Team of the Year for the first time in his career.

On January 15, 2014, Manchester United central defender Rio Ferdinand claimed that Silva was by a distance, the best defender in the world. Silva imperious in PSG's 2–0 win against Bordeaux at the Parc des Princes; Silva covered for the errors of teammate Gregory van der Wiel, and was close to scoring himself. This performance was followed by another strong performance against Monaco — despite scoring an unlucky own-goal, Silva made crucial interventions throughout the match, including a last-man block against Monaco forward Emmanuel Rivière. In PSG's comprehensive 4–0 win in the Champions League over Bayer Leverkusen, Silva was regarded by Le Parisien as having "dominated" Bundesliga top-scorer Stefan Kießling. Marseille defender Lucas Mendes said that Silva was the best defender in the world, and that Silva was his role model as a footballer. On February 16, Ronaldo, 3-time FIFA World Player of the Year, compared the qualities of Silva to legendary German sweeper Franz Beckenbauer. Silva managed another accomplished display in Le Classique, marshaling the PSG defence to a clean sheet, helping extend the lead to 8 points at the top of Ligue 1.

"Thiago Silva is without doubt the best central defender in the world. He has incredible qualities. He is a symbol of elegance like Franz Beckenbauer was. Silva follows in his footsteps."

—Ronaldo, 2014

In the Champions League quarter-finals against Chelsea, Silva conceded his first penalty in over three years, but recovered well in the 3–1 first leg victory — Silva's overall defensive effort was well-recognised by both English and French media. However, in the second-leg Chelsea prevailed on away goals after a late goal from substitute Demba Ba. On April 19, Silva captained PSG to a 2–1 victory in the 2014 Coupe de la Ligue Final, the first time the club had won the competition since 1998. Despite losing 1-2 to Rennes, PSG clinched the league title; Silva had captained the club to their second consecutive league title, and their first double. Silva again was shortlisted for Ligue 1 Player of the Year, and named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year for the second consecutive season. Silva was rated by France Football as the fifth-best player, and best defender in Ligue 1.

2014–15 season

Silva's season began poorly in PSG's 2-2 draw with Reims; he was rated as one of PSG's worst players in his first match back from the World Cup. In his post-match interview, Silva mentioned how he was not fully fit and that he was finding it difficult to forget Brazil's embarrassing loss to Germany, where Brazil capitulated without him. Only three days after the match against Reims, Silva's rush to get back to full fitness was halted as he suffered a serious thigh injury in a friendly against Napoli on August 11. He only lasted 13 minutes before being carried off the pitch. After nine weeks, Silva was finally pronounced fit on October 16 by Laurent Blanc, who also said that Silva would be able to start the next league match against Bordeaux. In his return, he had an excellent display alongside fellow countryman David Luiz as PSG dominated Bordeaux by a score of 3–0. A third into the season, it was observed that Silva's performances were marked with inconsistency, especially throughout November and December. After PSG's 1–3 loss to Barcelona in December, he was criticised by former PSG player Pierre Ducrocq: he asserted that Silva did not have any physical or technical problems, but instead a mentality issue. Despite his struggles, Silva was recognised by his peers as being one of the two best central defenders in the world, as he was voted into the 2015 FIFPro World XI for the second consecutive year.

2015 began extremely well for Silva, with a man of the match display against Saint-Étienne in a 1–0 victory. It was followed by another man of the match performance, this time in a 1–0 win against Rennes. After the match, Rennes captain Sylvain Armand had nothing but praise for Silva, saying "he [Thiago] is a monster and a phenomenon". Four days later, Silva was voted as man of the match in PSG's 1-0 Coupe de la Ligue win against Lille. Silva's return to form was evident and it met praise from across the country — Pierre Ménès of L'Équipe offered his praise, and Alain Roche of Le Parisien stated that he was back to his best. After PSG's 1–1 draw with Chelsea in the first leg of the 2014-15 Champions League Round of 16, Silva was unanimously praised by the French press for his outstanding defensive showing as he marked out Chelsea's star striker Diego Costa. Three days later, he was voted man of the match as he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 victory over Toulouse.

"In Italy, we had a great tradition for defenders, but now we don’t have any more. I don’t know why. I believe that Thiago Silva is the best in the world right now."

—Paolo Maldini, 2015

L'Équipe recognised Silva's incredible performances in January and February with a detailed analysis of his performances — in 2015, Silva was winning 89% of his duels, best in Ligue 1; Silva had 2.9 interceptions, 3.4 tackles, and 7.6 clearances per match, best in Ligue 1; lastly, Silva had committed a remarkable 0 fouls in 630 minutes of play. In a 2–0 win against Monaco in the Coupe de France quarterfinal, Silva was praised for his dominance — one publication noted "if you thought Dimitar Berbatov [of Monaco] was silent and invisible throughout the match, it was only due to the work of the Monster". In the second leg of the 2014-15 Champions League Round of 16, Silva conceded a controversial penalty in the 96th minute. PSG were poised to be eliminated from the Champions League but in the 114th minute, Silva atoned for his error with a towering header to beat Thibaut Courtois to help PSG advance to the next stage. Silva was voted by several media sources as the best player in the match as he produced an extraordinary performance.

Thiago Silva on action for PSG in 2014.

PSG finally took pole position in the league after their 2–3 win over Marseille; Silva was dominant in his duels and played a crucial role in the victory. Three days later, he was voted man of the match in a 4–1 victory against Saint-Étienne in the Coupe de France semifinal. On April 11, Silva captained the club to a 4–0 win in the 2015 Coupe de la Ligue Final against Bastia. Four days later, Silva suffered an injury in the 20th minute of PSG`s quarterfinal against Barcelona. He was ruled out for two weeks as PSG were comprehensively beaten by an aggregate score of 1–5 against the Catalan side. Upon his return in a 3–1 win against Metz, Silva had a comfortable performance as PSG moved closer to the title. After an incredible 6–0 win against Guingamp which edged the club closer to the first possible French domestic treble, Silva claimed that this PSG side was the best he had ever played in. One week later, PSG clinched the Ligue 1 title in a hard-fought 2–1 away win at Montpellier; Silva was voted man of the match and he was hailed for marking out Lucas Barrios. In the final match of the season, Silva was rated as the best player on the pitch in PSG's 3—2 win against Reims. In an interview with Jamie Carragher, former teammate Paolo Maldini called Silva the best defender in the world. For the third consecutive season, Silva was voted by his peers into the Ligue 1 Team of the Year. Silva was also selected in Opta's Ligue 1 Team of the Season based on statistical merit.

2015–16 season

After playing in the 2015 Copa América, Silva finally returned to club training on July 20 in New Jersey. The first pre-season match that Silva played in was the final match of the 2015 International Champions Cup against Manchester United — PSG won by a score of 2-0 to win the trophy; Silva was rated as the best player in the match. Two days later, Silva captained PSG to a 2-0 victory in the 2015 Trophée des Champions against Lyon. Silva had a good match with little to do defensively, as Lyon's star striker Alexandre Lacazette played an insignificant role in the match.

PSG began their league campaign with a 1-0 victory against Lille, playing with 10-men for two-thirds of the match. Silva had a superb display, leading the defence to a hard-fought clean sheet. His performance was described as dominant, showcasing his intelligence and athleticism throughout the match.

International career

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Thiago Silva playing for Brazil in a friendly against England, on 14 November 2009.

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Thiago Silva in a friendly against Scotland, on 27 March 2011.

After a strong season with Fluminense, Silva was called up to the Brazil preliminary squad for the 2007 Copa América; however, he was not a part of the main team which won the tournament. Silva was then called up for a friendly against Algeria on August 15, but he was stayed on the bench as Brazil won 2-0. Silva was selected by Dunga to play in the 2008 Summer Olympics; Silva would be one of two over-age players, alongside Ronaldinho. Silva won his first two caps for Brazil in pre-Olympic friendlies against Singapore and Vietnam; however, he suffered a right calf injury against Vietnam which kept him out of Brazil's first Olympics match. Silva was finally pronounced fit for the third group match, where Silva started and Brazil won 3-0 against China. He did not start any other matches, only coming on in the 71' against Belgium in the third-place match, sealing the bronze medal for Brazil.

Silva's next cap came in an international friendly against Portugal on November 20, 2008. Brazil won the match convincingly by a 6-2 scoreline, and Silva was praised for having 'dominated' the FIFA World Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo. — Silva was praised by his teammates for his performance. Silva was not a starter during the 2010 FIFA World Cup cycle for Brazil despite his high level of performances for AC Milan. He was still playing in friendly matches, and in a November 2009 friendly against England, Silva put in a man of the match display in Doha.

Silva was an unused substitute in all matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where Brazil were defeated in the quarterfinal by the Netherlands. Silva was selected as captain by new Brazil coach Mano Menezes for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying cycle, replacing Lúcio. Brazil disappointed at the 2011 Copa América, losing in a penalty shootout to Paraguay; every Brazilian player — Fred, André Santos, Elano, Silva — failed to convert their penalties in shocking fashion. Silva scored his first goal for Brazil in an friendly match against the United States. International honours still eluded Silva at the 2012 Summer Olympics, as Mexico surprised Brazil in the final to win 2-1.

Silva's first international trophy came at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, held in Brazil. As a warm-up tournament to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Brazilian side dominated all opposition, winning the tournament with an overall aggregate score of 14-3. Silva was outstanding throughout the tournament; he was rated as the tenth-best player at the end of the group stages, and by the end of the tournament, he was rated as the fifth-best player of the tournament by the Castrol Performance Index. Silva was also voted into the Confederations Cup Dream Team by FIFA.com users.

Silva scored his second goal for Brazil in a 3-1 friendly victory over Portugal on September 11, 2013. In a pre-World Cup friendly against Serbia, Silva assisted Fred's goal as Brazil ran out to a 1-0 victory.

2014 World Cup

Thiago Silva celebrating Brazil's victory against Colombia at the 2014 World Cup.

With Silva playing for the first time at a World Cup, Brazil won 3-1 against Croatia in their first match at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Silva was regarded as Brazil's best player in their second match, a 0-0 draw against Mexico, making several crucial interventions and getting involved offensively. In the final group match against Cameroon, Silva was again outstanding as Brazil won by a decisive 4-1 scoreline. At the end of the group stage, FIFA rated Silva as the third-best defender of the tournament, and the ninth-best player overall.

In Brazil's victory over Chile in the quarterfinal, Silva assisted the opening goal scored by David Luiz. Chile equalised, and after no goals were scored in extra-time, the match went to a penalty shootout. Silva faced severe criticism for his behaviour, as he was pictured in tears before and during the shootout. 1970 World Cup winning captain Carlos Alberto asserted that Silva was a weak captain, and Brazilian legend Zico insisted that Silva should have volunteered to take a penalty, instead of refusing to take one. After the Round of 16, Silva was still regarded as one of the best defenders of the tournament by multiple media sources. Silva was able to silence his critics by scoring the opening goal in the quarterfinal against Colombia, and was seen as a top performer in the match; however, Silva picked up his second yellow card of the tournament for obstructing Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina, which ruled him out of the semifinal. Brazil tried to appeal his yellow card, but it was immediately rejected. Nevertheless, at the end of the quarterfinal stage, Silva was rated by FIFA as the second-best defender of the tournament, and the fourth-best player overall.

Silva's suspension brought apprehension to the team; José Mourinho even claimed that Silva was Brazil's most important player, praising the stability Silva offers to the defence. Silva was replaced by Bayern Munich defender Dante, who was deemed by Germany coach Joachim Löw as 'an excellent player'. Without Silva as captain, Brazil capitulated in the semifinal, losing by a record 1–7 scoreline to Germany. It was widely recognised that Silva's absence played a crucial part in the shock result. In the third-place match, Silva returned, but his presence could not salvage any honours for Brazil, as they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by the Netherlands. At the conclusion of the tournament, Silva was rated by FIFA as the third-best central defender, and the eighth-best player overall. Silva was selected into the FIFA World Cup Dream Team voted by FIFA.com users, and the Castrol World Cup Top XI based on statistical merit.

2015 Copa América

Brazil, under Dunga, went to the 2015 Copa América in Chile with Neymar as the captain. However, after his suspension for the remainder of the tournament in their second game, the armband did not go back to Silva, rather to his defensive partner Miranda. In Brazil's final group match against Venezuela at the Estadio Monumental David Arellano in Santiago, Silva opened the scoring in the ninth minute, volleying in a corner from Robinho. The eventual 2–1 victory sent Brazil into the quarter-finals as group winners. In the 70th minute of the quarter-final, Silva's handball gave Paraguay the penalty kick from which they equalised for a 1–1 draw, and Brazil lost in a penalty shootout.

Style of play

Thiago Silva has been recognized as a complete defender by his peers and critics. He has been described as a consistent defender, without any flaws, and someone who can lead any defence. A leader from the back, Silva's play has led him to be compared to legendary Italian defender Franco Baresi. Baresi, regarded as one of the greatest defenders in football history, has gone on record to state that Thiago Silva is the defender who most resembles him, and said in June 2012 that Thiago Silva was his "heir" His leadership skills are also apparent through his success in captaining the Brazilian national team and Paris Saint Germain.

Silva is heralded as one of the fastest defenders in European football, and has been described as a strong defender with good aerial ability. He combines these physical gifts with a phenomenal tactical intelligence and knowledge of the game, as well as an excellent positional sense. Thanks to his abilities, he excels at reading and anticipating plays, and is excellent at closing down opposing players in possession of the ball. Hailed as the best of the new breed of defenders — composed in possession, able to create chances for his team from the back — Silva is a defender who is universally praised, being voted as one of the top two central defenders in Europe for three consecutive years.

Career statistics

Club

As of 18 May 2015

Club	Season	League		Cup		Continental Competition1		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Juventude	2004	28	3	1	0	—	—	29	3
	Total	28	3	1	0	—	—	29	3
Porto	2004–05	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dynamo Moscow	2005	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fluminense	2006	31	0	8	0	4	0	43	0
	2007	30	5	12	3	—	—	42	8
	2008	20	1	—	—	12	2	32	3
	Total	81	6	20	3	16	2	117	11
Milan	2009–10	33	2	0	0	7	0	40	2
	2010–11	33	1	3	0	6	0	42	1
	2011–12	27	2	3	0	7	1	37	3
	Total	93	5	6	0	20	1	119	6
Paris Saint-Germain	2012–13	22	0	3	1	9	2	34	3
	2013–14	28	3	7	0	7	0	42	3
	2014–15	25	1	7	0	6	1	38	2
	Total	75	4	17	1	22	3	114	8
Career Total		277	18	44	4	55	6	379	28

¹ Continental competitions include the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Cup, Copa Libertadores and Recopa Sudamericana.

International

As of 28 June 2015

Brazil national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2008	3	0
2009	3	0
2010	6	0
2011	13	0
2012	7	1
2013	12	1
2014	7	1
2015	7	1
Total	58	4

International goals

Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	30 May 2012	FedEx Field, Landover, United States	United States	2–0	4–1	Friendly
2.	10 September 2013	Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Turkey	Portugal	1–1	3–1	Friendly
3.	4 July 2014	Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza, Brazil	Colombia	1–0	2–1	2014 FIFA World Cup
4.	21 June 2015	Estadio Monumental David Arellano, Santiago, Chile	Venezuela	1–0	2–1	2015 Copa América

Honours

Thiago Silva and Dilma Rousseff with 2013 Confederations Cup title.

Club

Fluminense

• Copa do Brasil: 2007

Milan

• Serie A: 2010–11
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2011

Paris Saint-Germain

• Ligue 1 (3): 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
• Coupe de France : 2014–15
• Coupe de la Ligue (2): 2013–14, 2014–15
• Trophée des Champions (3): 2013, 2014, 2015

International

Brazil

• Olympics Bronze Medal: 2008
• Olympics Silver Medal: 2012
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2013

Individual

• Bola de Prata: 2007
• Brasileirão Fans' Player of the Year: 2008
• Brasileirão Team of the Year: 2008
• Premio Armando Picchi: 2011
• Samba d'Or: 2011, 2012, 2013
• Serie A Team of the Year: 2010–11, 2011–12
• Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
• Ligue 1 Player of the Month: March 2013
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2013
• UEFA Champions League Team of the Group Stage: 2015
• FIFA/FIFPro World XI: 2013, 2014, 2015
• FIFA Ballon d'Or: 2013 (21st)
• FIFA Confederations Cup All-Star Team: 2013
• FIFA Confederations Cup Castrol Index Top XI: 2013
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2014
• FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2014

Personal life

Silva and his wife Isabelle have two sons named Isago and Iago. Silva is a Christian.

External links

• Thiago Silva at footballzz.co.uk
• Guardian Stats Centre
• Silva.html Thiago Silva at National-Football-Teams.com
• Thiago Silva – FIFA competition record
• Thiago Silva – UEFA competition record
• ESPN FC profile

Sporting positions
Preceded by Lúcio	Brazil captain 2010–2014	Succeeded by Neymar
Preceded by Christophe Jallet	Paris Saint-Germain captain 2012–present	Incumbent