DONE DEAL: THIAGO SILVA SIGNS FOR PORTO TO CHASE TWENTY-TWENTY-SIX WORLD CUP DREAM
Thiago Silva is back in Europe! The 41-year-old has signed for FC Porto after ending his contract early with Fluminense.
Thiago Silva, the 41-year-old Brazilian player, is now a free agent. He has ended his contract with Fluminense early. After a year and a half back with his first club, the defender is thinking about going back to Europe, where he used to play for AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea.
Silva Might Return to Europe
After playing in Europe for 18 years, Silva is thinking about returning after a short time with Fluminense. O Jogo says that FC Porto wants to sign him. Silva is currently a free agent after ending his contract with the Brazilian club earlier this month.
The experienced defender said he was retiring from the Brazil national team in 2022, but now he wants to play for Carlo Ancelotti's team again with the 2026 World Cup coming up. Because of this, Silva wants to play regularly in Europe and might take the offer.
One of the big reasons Silva ended his Fluminense contract was that he wanted to be near his family, who have been living in London since he played for Chelsea.
Fluminense's Statement on Silva's Departure
The Brazilian team said in a statement about Silva leaving: Fluminense FC says that defender Thiago Silva ended his contract with the club this Tuesday at the Carlos Castilho Training Centre.
Thiago, who grew up playing for the Tricolor, is ending his second time with the club's professional team. He won the 2007 Copa do Brasil and has 212 games and 19 goals while playing for the tricolor.
Thiago Silva, a world football star, came back to the club last year and left behind a legacy of hard work and love for Fluminense. The club thanks him for everything and wishes him the best.
Chelsea Was Told to Sign Silva Again
Darren Bent, who used to play in the Premier League, told talkSPORT that Chelsea should bring Silva back to Stamford Bridge: If I'm Chelsea, I'm trying to get him back in some way, even if it's just to play. I watched him play for Fluminense in the Club World Cup, and he still looked good. He's not as fast as he used to be because he's older. But he's still smart and gets his body in the right spot.
He knows he's not the fastest anymore, so he drops back a bit. I played against Thiago Silva when he was at his best. He was great! Brazil versus England... amazing. He had everything: jumps, speed, and power. Now, he just knows the game so well, and if I'm Chelsea, I'm trying to bring him back.
He added, "You could sign a 21-year-old, and they wouldn't be as good as him." With that much experience and respect, he'll put his teammates in the right spots so he doesn't get caught out. I think he would be great for Chelsea. I'm not saying for a long time. It's obvious to bring him back. His kids are still connected to the club, and he loves London. I know it's not long-term, but it buys you time. I watched him in the Club World Cup, and he still looked great. He still defended well and knew the game. What other choices are there?
What's Next for Silva?
The 41-year-old is known as one of the best defenders of his time. He had a great career before and after joining Chelsea. He became famous at AC Milan, winning Serie A in 2011, and then spent eight good years at Paris St-Germain, winning seven Ligue 1 titles.
He played for Brazil over 110 times, winning the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2019 Copa America. In August 2020, at age 36, Silva signed with Chelsea for free, which was a great move. He quickly brought stability, organisation, and leadership to a defence that had struggled the year before.
Silva wants to join FC Porto soon and play in Europe again before trying to get into Ancelotti's World Cup team next summer.
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
WHY CAF STRIPPED SENEGAL OF THEIR AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TITLE
Following a final walk-off, Senegal has lost its AFCON trophy in the boardroom, prompting an appeal to CAS by the FSF.
Moussa Niakhate finally spoke out after the Confederation of African Football’s shocking decision to take Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy away. After that wild walk-off in the final against Morocco, CAF backed an appeal and handed the host nation a 3-0 win by default. Senegalese players were furious; who wouldn’t be?
The boardroom decision completely flipped African football on its head. Two months after the final, the CAF Appeal Board tossed out Senegal’s victory and gave Morocco the win. It all started deep into stoppage time when VAR gave Morocco a penalty. Pape Thiaw, Senegal’s manager, lost it and told his players to leave the field. Eventually, they came back and finished the match. Still, officials said the walk-off broke tournament rules, so they took the title away. Brutal.
Niakhate, the 30-year-old defender who was key in Senegal’s backline, got asked about it before Lyon’s Europa League match with Celta. He’d already posted a photo with his medal and the trophy right after the ruling. He made it clear: nothing a boardroom says can erase what happened on the pitch. He said, “Out of respect for the club and with the crucial match in mind, I don’t want to go into too much detail. You saw my reaction on social media; it’s the same today. What I can say is that nothing has changed for me compared to what we went through in January. I’ll have time to talk about it again in due course; for now, I’m going to stay focused on Lyon.”
That final in Rabat was pure chaos, even before Senegal won 1-0 on the field. Most players followed Thiaw down the tunnel, but Sadio Mane stayed, urging his teammates to come back. Brahim Diaz took the penalty but tried a Panenka, and Edouard Mendy caught it easily. The game went to extra time, Papa Gueye scored, and Senegal thought they were champions again. It didn't matter; the walk-off cost them everything. The committee called it a 3-0 forfeit.
It’s harsh for a team that believed they’d gone back-to-back. Niakhate, who started six out of seven games, is now focusing on Lyon’s European campaign. Still, that boardroom drama isn’t going away, not with the international break coming up. Senegal’s already planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
