96 Facts About Thiago Silva

1.

Thiago Emiliano da Silva was born on 22 September 1984 and is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Chelsea and the Brazil national team.

2.

Thiago Silva holds the record as the club's longest ever serving captain and ranks eighth-highest all-time for appearances.

3.

Thiago Silva made his senior international debut for Brazil in 2008, at age 23, and has since earned over 110 caps, including appearing in eight major tournaments.

4.

Thiago Silva won a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics and a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics, and later served as captain as Brazil won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and finished fourth at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

5.

Thiago Silva later helped his country win the 2019 Copa America.

6.

At the age of 14, Thiago Silva impressed Fluminense coach Maurinho during a friendly in Xerem.

7.

Thiago Silva was given a short trial, where he was given the role of a defensive midfielder.

8.

Thiago Silva's playing opportunities were few, prompting him to trial for other clubs.

9.

In 1999, at the age of 15, Thiago Silva auditioned at Madureira, Olaria, and Flamengo; he was rejected at each club, the trial at Flamengo being the most difficult for him as he was not even observed by coaches.

10.

Conti wanted him to play for Roma, but Thiago Silva did not accept the offer.

11.

Strong performances in his last season as a defensive midfielder led to Thiago Silva's move to Juventude.

12.

Thiago Silva moved to Juventude in 2004, where he played for six months.

13.

At 20 years old, Thiago Silva transitioned from midfield to defence under the tutelage of Ivo Wortmann.

14.

Thiago Silva was rated by the sports magazine Placar as the third-best defender in Brazil and was included in the team of the season.

15.

Thiago Silva's performances had caught the eye of many clubs with his outstanding performances, and he was sold to Porto.

16.

Thiago Silva returned to football with the help of his former coach, Ivo Wortmann.

17.

Fluminense struggled in the 2006 Brasileirao, finishing 15th out of 20 teams; however, Thiago Silva was described as one of the best players in the season.

18.

Thiago 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.

19.

Thiago Silva was included in the 2008 Brasileirao Team of the Season and was selected as the Fans' Player of the Season.

20.

Thiago 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.

21.

Thiago Silva was linked with many clubs in 2008, including the likes of Inter Milan, Chelsea and Villarreal, though ultimately he opted to join the Brazilian contingent already at AC Milan.

22.

Thiago Silva played his first match for the Rossoneri in a friendly match against Hannover 96 on 21 January 2009; he played well, making ten tackles.

23.

Thiago Silva's performance drew praise from Milan executive Adriano Galliani and teammate Clarence Seedorf.

24.

Thiago Silva played his first competitive match of the season against Siena on 22 August 2009.

25.

Milan legend Paolo Maldini claimed that Thiago Silva had the "physical and technical characteristics of a champion", while Nesta said that Thiago Silva would "extend my life as a central defender".

26.

Thiago Silva was inactive for four matches due to his injury.

27.

At the midpoint of the season, Thiago Silva was regarded as the best defender in the Serie A, and the best in Europe.

28.

Thiago Silva is part of a new generation of phenomenal players who are perhaps born once every 100 years.

29.

Thiago Silva's performance brought comparisons to legendary Milan midfielder Marcel Desailly.

30.

Thiago Silva was lauded by Italian media for his display against Napoli, marking-out star striker Edinson Cavani.

31.

Thiago Silva was selected as Goal's Serie A Player of the Season, and was voted as the best defender in the league by Italian media and his fellow professionals.

32.

The next week, Thiago Silva was named captain against Chievo, in the process becoming the first foreign captain in 50 years for Milan.

33.

Thiago Silva was voted into the 2011 UEFA Team of the Year on 18 January.

34.

Thiago Silva was regarded as one of the best defenders in Italy by multiple independent publications.

35.

On 11 June 2012, it was reported that Milan legend Paolo Maldini would convince Thiago Silva to join PSG in the summer.

36.

The next day Milan general director Ariedo Braida claimed that Thiago Silva was not for sale.

37.

The next day Berlusconi confirmed that Thiago Silva would be staying at Milan.

38.

Thiago Silva had repeatedly stressed the fact that he never pushed for a transfer, and that he was happy at Milan.

39.

Thiago Silva even mentioned that he would like to return to Milan later in his career.

40.

At his arrival, Thiago Silva was presented to the media as the "best defender in the world" by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

41.

Thirteen days later, Thiago Silva was declared fit to play, in time for a Champions League group stage match against Dynamo Kyiv.

42.

Thiago Silva was praised for his defensive display in the match.

43.

Thiago Silva made his return in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Valencia.

44.

Thiago Silva was outstanding in this match, being lauded heavily in France for an "extraterrestrial effort" against the Spanish side.

45.

Carlo Ancelotti claimed after the match that Thiago Silva was the best defender in the world, saying that Thiago Silva had all the ability to win the Ballon d'Or.

46.

PSG legend Ricardo Gomes claimed that Thiago Silva was one of Brazil's best-ever defenders, as well as saying that Thiago Silva was the best defender in the history of the club.

47.

Thiago Silva motioned to the referee, and put his hands on the referee's shoulder, which the referee deemed as a red-card offence.

48.

Thiago Silva was shortlisted for the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award, alongside teammates Blaise Matuidi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

49.

Thiago Silva was considered the best defender in Ligue 1 by France Football.

50.

On 22 August 2013, it was announced that Thiago Silva had signed a one-year extension to his contract, keeping him at the club until 2018.

51.

Thiago Silva was forced off the field in the 16th minute against Monaco due to a left hamstring injury, which ultimately kept him out for six weeks.

52.

Thiago Silva had an unusual run of scoring form, netting three times in seven matches.

53.

Thiago Silva was voted by his fellow professionals in the 2013 FIFPro Team of the Year for the first time in his career.

54.

On 15 January 2014, Manchester United central defender Rio Ferdinand claimed that Thiago Silva was, by a distance, the best defender in the world.

55.

Marseille defender Lucas Mendes said that Thiago Silva was the best defender in the world, and that Thiago Silva was his role model as a footballer.

56.

Thiago Silva managed another accomplished display in Le Classique, marshaling the club's defence to a clean sheet and helping extend its lead to eight points at the top of the Ligue 1 table.

57.

Thiago Silva is a symbol of elegance like Franz Beckenbauer was.

58.

Thiago 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.

59.

Thiago Silva was rated by France Football as the league's fifth-best player, as well as the best defender in Ligue 1.

60.

PSG were poised to be eliminated from the Champions League but in the 114th minute, Thiago Silva atoned for his error with a towering header to beat Thibaut Courtois to help PSG advance to the next stage.

61.

Thiago Silva was voted by several media sources as the best player in the match as he produced an extraordinary performance.

62.

Four days later, Thiago Silva suffered an injury in the 20th minute of PSG's quarterfinal against Barcelona.

63.

Thiago Silva was selected in Opta's Ligue 1 Team of the Season based on statistical merit.

64.

Thiago Silva had a good match with little to do defensively, as Lyon's star striker Alexandre Lacazette played an insignificant role in the match.

65.

Thiago Silva had a superb display, leading the defence to a hard-fought clean sheet.

66.

Thiago Silva's performance was described as dominant, showcasing his intelligence and athleticism throughout the match.

67.

However, Thiago Silva became the first Brazilian to start a Champions League Final as a captain.

68.

On 28 August 2020, Thiago Silva joined Premier League club Chelsea on a one-year deal with an option for a second.

69.

Thiago Silva led the defence as Chelsea reached its third Champions League final, defeating Real Madrid in the semi-finals.

70.

Thiago Silva was then selected by Dunga to play in the 2008 Summer Olympics, one of two overage players, alongside Ronaldinho.

71.

Thiago Silva won his first two caps for Brazil in pre-Olympic friendlies against Singapore and Vietnam, though he suffered a right calf injury against Vietnam that kept him out of Brazil's first Olympic match.

72.

Thiago Silva did not start any other matches, only coming on in the 71st minute against Belgium in the third-place match, which sealed the bronze medal for Brazil.

73.

Thiago Silva was not a starter during the 2010 World Cup qualifications for Brazil, despite his high level of club performances for Milan.

74.

Thiago Silva 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.

75.

Thiago Silva was an unused substitute in all matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where Brazil were defeated in the quarter-finals by the eventual finalists, the Netherlands.

76.

Thiago Silva was selected as captain by new Brazil coach Mano Menezes ahead of the 2014 World Cup qualifying cycle, replacing Lucio.

77.

Thiago Silva scored his first goal for Brazil in a friendly match against the United States.

78.

Thiago 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.

79.

Thiago Silva was voted into the Confederations Cup Dream Team by FIFA.

80.

In Brazil's victory over Chile in the round of 16, Thiago Silva assisted the opening goal scored by David Luiz.

81.

Thiago Silva faced severe criticism for his behaviour, as he was pictured in tears before and during the shootout.

82.

Thiago 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, Thiago Silva picked up his second yellow card of the tournament for obstructing goalkeeper David Ospina, which ruled him out of the semi-final.

83.

Nevertheless, at the end of the quarter-final stage, Thiago Silva was rated by FIFA as the second-best defender of the tournament, and the fourth-best player overall.

84.

Thiago Silva was replaced by Bayern Munich defender Dante, who was deemed by Germany coach Joachim Low as "an excellent player".

85.

Thiago Silva was selected into the FIFA World Cup Dream Team voted by FIFA.

86.

In Brazil's final group match against Venezuela at the Estadio Monumental David Arellano in Santiago, Thiago Silva opened the scoring in the ninth minute, volleying in a corner from Robinho.

87.

On 14 May 2018, Thiago Silva was named by Tite in the squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

88.

In September 2022, Thiago Silva became the most capped center back in the history of the Brazil national team, surpassing Lucio.

89.

On 7 November 2022, Thiago Silva was named in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

90.

Thiago Silva has been recognized as a complete defender by his peers and critics.

91.

Thiago Silva has been described as a consistent defender, without any flaws, and someone who can lead any defence.

92.

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".

93.

Thiago Silva is heralded as one of the fastest defenders in European football, and has been described as a strong defender with good aerial ability.

94.

Thiago Silva combines these physical gifts with a phenomenal tactical intelligence, discipline, and knowledge of the game, as well as an excellent positional sense, which allows him to excel in one on one situations.

95.

On 15 March 2019 after playing almost seven years in France with Paris Saint-Germain, Thiago Silva announced that he, his wife and children had become French citizens.

96.

Thiago Silva, representing Brazil, starred alongside Luka Modric, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Andre Blake, Hassan Maatouk and Brian Kaltak.