41-year-old Silva shines in the Club World Cup, stays away from the top five leagues and remains the top defender

The Club World Cup 1/8 finals were frequently unpopular, and Fruminense defeated Inter Milan 2-0, continuing the Brazilian team's outstanding performance in this cup. In this game, Thiago Silva, who is about to turn 41, can be regarded as the decisive force in the Frumenensee defense line, and has made great contributions to the team's victory. Although he has been away from European football, Silva, who returns to Brazil to play football, is still among the world's top defenders.

appeared in the Club World Cup and is still the top defender in this Club World Cup. Fruminense's defense performance is quite good. After 4 games, the team completed three clean sheets, and the only two goals conceded occurred in the game against Ulsan HD. But in this game, the team won a 4-2 victory. In the first match of Dortmund in the group stage, Silva performed well. He completed 8 successful top-ups, 7 clearances and 3 interceptions, and all three data were the highest in the game. In this game, Dortmund is the passive side of the scene, but it is not without a chance. However, Silva's defense line led by him tried his best to ensure that the goal was not lost. In the match against Ulsan HD, although Fruminense conceded 2 goals, Silva's performance still has many highlights. Not only did he become the player with the most clearances in the game again, he completed 8 clearances in a single game, but he also sent 78 accurate passes and 4 long passes, showing his excellent footwork. Throughout the game, Silva's coverage covers the rear and midfields of the game, and she performed very actively. In the face of Silva's defense, Ulsan HD has few attacking methods.

Silva rested in the match against Mamerodi and was once again in the match against Inter Milan. Fruminense changed his formation and played in three central defenders, and Silva occupied the most important center position. In this game, he takes defense as his main responsibility, and his scope of activities is in front of his goal and in front of the penalty area. The 7 clearances, 3 steals and 3 ground scrambles in the game were very important, which made the forward players such as Touram and Lautaro come back in vain.

After winning the game, Silva bluntly stated in an interview: "I believe Milan fans will also like this game. I want to dedicate the victory to them. I am thinking about them throughout the game." Silva played for AC Milan between 2009 and 2012 and led the team to win the Serie A championship. Although he has been away from Milan for many years, his love for this team remains in his heart.

Returning to Brazil's football world, the veteran still stands out

Frumenense is Silva's youth training parent team, but he did not gain a foothold here in the early days. After traveling to Juventus, Porto and Dynamo Moscow, he once again became a member of Fruminense in 2006. After playing for three years, he signed a contract with AC Milan and officially entered the European giants. After playing for Milan for 3 years, Paris for 8 years, and Chelsea for 4 years, Silva persisted in the top European arena until she was 40 years old. In the 2023-2024 season, he made 31 appearances in the Premier League, contributing 3 goals and 1 assist, and his competitive form is still quite outstanding.

However, Silva, who entered his late career, finally decided to return to Brazilian football. In July 2024, he joined Fruminense in the form of a free transfer. Shortly after returning to the team, he played all three consecutive games in a week, helping the team achieve zero-shooting and ushering in three consecutive victories. Since then, Silva broke the deadlock for the team in the second leg of the Libertadores Cup knockout against Gremio, leading the team to successfully turn the tables in the first leg and advance to the quarterfinals.

Although he missed many games due to injury, Silva after his comeback is still an indispensable part of Fruminense's defense. In the 2024 season, Fruminense ranked only 13th in the Brazilian League, but Silva's performance won unanimous recognition. This season, he is still valued by the team, and his steady performance makes it hard to imagine that he is a player over 40 years old.

Can you renew your relationship in the World Cup next year?

After the 2022 World Cup, Silva announced his withdrawal from the national team, and his career also left regrets because he missed the World Cup championship. In Five Star Brazil, Silva has served as the leader of the back defense for a long time. From 2014 to 2022, he participated in the World Cup three times, and each time he performed well.

However, in the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Silva was shown a yellow card and failed to participate in the semi-finals against Germany due to suspension. The Brazilian team, which lacked a defender, encountered a 1-7 tragedy and was hit hard at the doorstep. This is the closest Silva has ever been to the World Cup championship, but it ended in a bleak ending. In 2022, Brazil stopped in the quarter-finals and missed the Hercules Cup again. His national team career also came to an end with a failure.

Silva, who withdrew from the national team, is still brave, while the Brazilian team's current defense line is a little dim. In this World Cup qualifier, Brazil temporarily ranked third after 16 rounds. Although it is not difficult to advance to the World Cup, the team has lost 5 games and conceded as many as 16 goals. It is even more unacceptable to defeat his old rival Argentina 1-4.

The Brazilian team's defense line today may really need Silva to come back to play the role of leader. In 2026, the World Cup will continue to be held in North America. After shining with the Club World Cup, will Silva continue to have a relationship with the Brazilian national team?

(Bumps/Don't light up in the east)