Thiago Silva

Thiago Silva
Silva lining up for Brazil in 2018
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 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
Fluminense
Number 3
Youth career
1998–2000 Fluminense
2000–2001 Barcelona-RJ
2001–2002 RS Futebol
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2003 RS Futebol 25 (2)
2004 Juventude 35 (3)
2004–2005 Porto B 14 (0)
2005–2006 Dynamo Moscow 0 (0)
2006Fluminense (loan) 35 (0)
2007–2009 Fluminense 73 (9)
2009–2012 AC Milan 93 (5)
2012–2020 Paris Saint-Germain 204 (9)
2020–2024 Chelsea 113 (8)
2024– Fluminense 29 (1)
International career
2008–2012 Brazil Olympic (O.P.) 8 (0)
2008–2022 Brazil 113 (7)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Brazil
Copa América
Winner2019 Brazil
Runner-up2021 Brazil
FIFA Confederations Cup
Winner2013 Brazil
Summer Olympics
2012 LondonTeam
2008 BeijingTeam
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 02:58, 2 June 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 August 2024 (UTC)

Thiago Emiliano da Silva (born 22 September 1984) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Fluminense. Regarded as one of the best defenders of all time, he is known for his defensive prowess, 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 AC Milan for a reported fee of €8 million and won the 2010–11 Serie A title.

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.