Bernardo Silva

Bernardo Mota Veiga de Carvalho e Silva (; born 10 August 1994) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or right winger for club Manchester City, whom he captains, and the Portugal national team.

Silva came through Benfica's youth academy. He began playing for Benfica B in 2013 and was promoted to the first-team in 2014, playing a few minutes with the latter. He was on loan at the Ligue 1 side Monaco during the 2014–15 season, with ''Les Monégasques'' making the move permanent in winter 2015. After winning the league title with them in 2017, he was signed by English club Manchester City for a reported fee of £43.5 million. He subsequently won the Premier League and EFL Cup in his first season in England, following this up with a domestic treble the following season. He had a significant role in City becoming the first men's team in England to win a domestic treble, being named Manchester City's Player of the Year in 2019 and being part of the PFA Premier League Team of the Year. Afterwards, Silva was listed among the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or. In 2020–21, he helped Manchester City reach their first UEFA Champions League final, and was an integral part of the side who sealed a first-ever continental treble in 2022–23.

Silva made his senior debut for Portugal in 2015 after previously being capped by the nations's youth teams at under-19 and under-21 levels. He was chosen in Portugal's squads for two FIFA World Cups (2018 and 2022), two UEFA European Championships (2020 and 2024), and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He also won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025, being named as the Player of the Tournament on home soil in the former.

Early life

Born on 10 August 1994, in Lisbon, Portugal. Bernardo Silva's football journey started in Lisbon, a city rich in football culture, where his early passion for the game was nurtured.

Club career

Benfica

A product of S.L. Benfica's youth system, Silva played for its ranks, and in 2013 they won the 2012–13 Portuguese Juniors Championship. He made his debut for Benfica B in a Segunda Liga match against Trofense on 10 August 2013 (Matchday 1).

On 19 October 2013, Silva made his debut for Benfica at the age of 19, in a 2013–14 Taça de Portugal third round 1–0 away victory against Campeonato Nacional de Seniores club C.D. Cinfães, coming out of the bench in the 80th minute. His good performance for Benfica B in the 2013–14 Segunda Liga earned him the league's Breakthrough Player of the Year award. He was a member of Benfica's domestic treble-winning team of the 2013–14 season, playing only 31 minutes in a total of three matches.

Monaco

On 7 August 2014, Silva joined Monaco on one-year loan deal. He made his debut on 17 August in a Ligue 1 away match against Bordeaux, replacing Lucas Ocampos in the second half. On 21 September, he made his first start, in a 1–0 home win against Guingamp. On 14 December, he scored the only goal of a home win against Marseille.

On 20 January 2015, Benfica announced that Silva's economic and sports rights had been sold to Monaco for €15.75 million; he signed a contract for Monaco that would expire on 30 June 2019. On 10 April, he scored twice in a 3–0 away win against Caen. On 10 August 2015, Silva extended his contract by one year, tying him to the club until June 2020.

In the 2016–17 Champions League group stage away match against CSKA Moscow on 18 October 2016, Silva scored Monaco's equaliser in the 87th minute to ensure that the match finished in 1–1 draw. On 15 January 2017, he scored Monaco's last two goals in a 4–1 away win over Marseille to help Monaco move to the top of the Ligue 1 table for the first time since Week 5 of the current Ligue 1 season. The following 29 January, Silva scored an added-time equaliser in the 1–1 draw against reigning league champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, putting his team on top of the league. He finished the 2016–17 season with 8 goals and 9 assists in the league and 11 goals and 12 assists in 58 matches across all competitions.

Manchester City

2017–2021: Domestic success and European final

The calibre of his performances against Manchester City for Monaco in the UEFA Champions League knockout legs in the 2016–17 season was noted by head coach Pep Guardiola and his backroom staff. On 26 May 2017, Manchester City confirmed the signing of Silva on a five-year contract after passing his medical tests. Although the transfer fee remains undisclosed, it has been reported to amount to €50 million (£43.5 million), which could reach €70 million with add-ons. Silva officially joined the club on 1 July 2017, ahead of the 2017–18 season.

On 13 February 2018, Silva scored his first Champions League goal for the City in a 4–0 away victory against Basel in the first leg of the round of 16 stage. On 5 March, Silva scored the solitary winning goal against Chelsea at home – a key win which put them only three wins away from winning the Premier League title. He established himself as a consistent performer, playing the most matches of any City player in the season up to the end of February 2018. By the end of the season, he had played for Manchester City 53 times in all competitions – the most of any City player that season and helped them to a record 100 points in the Premier League and the EFL Cup.

Silva made 51 appearances for Manchester City during the 2018–19 season, scoring 13 goals and adding 14 assists in all competitions. On 24 April 2019, Silva scored the opening goal for City against Manchester United in the Manchester Derby, and the 2–0 win at Old Trafford put his team on top of the league. Silva's consistent and influential performances helped his team to win Premier League title, filling in Kevin De Bruyne's position who missed the majority of the season with an injury. As a result, he was voted into the PFA Team of the Year alongside four other City players and won the Manchester City Player of the Season award, voted by the fans.

In the 2019–20 season, Silva scored a hat-trick in an 8–0 thrashing of Watford in the Premier League on 21 September. Days later, the FA requested a response from Manchester City after Silva directed a tweet towards his teammate Benjamin Mendy which likened the player's appearance to that of a dark-skinned advertising mascot, while Kick It Out, the campaign group against racism in football, expressed their disappointment at Silva's use of a racist stereotype. Mendy said that he was not offended by the tweet. In November, Silva was banned for one match and fined £50,000 for the tweet. The FA said that Silva did not intend the post to be insulting or in any way racist. In October 2019, Silva was nominated as one among 30 candidates for Ballon d´Or.

On 10 January 2021, Silva scored a brace in a 3–0 home win over Championship side Birmingham City in the Third round of the FA Cup. On 20 January 2021, Silva scored his first league goal of the season in a 2–0 home win over Aston Villa. On 24 February 2021, Silva scored his first Champions League goal of the season in a 2–0 away win over Borussia Mönchengladbach in the first leg of the round of 16 tie.

2021–present: Consecutive Premier League titles and continental treble

In the start of the 2021–22 season, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola revealed that Silva was one of three players that wanted to leave the club in the summer transfer window. It was reported that he was unhappy in Manchester, with Spanish La Liga side Atlético Madrid and Serie A side A.C. Milan being interested in signing him. After staying at the club in the transfer window, Silva began displaying impressive performances in the midfield for Manchester City, most notably in the 5–0 victory against Arsenal, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win over Leicester City, and against Liverpool and Chelsea, being named man of the match in the latter, with manager Pep Guardiola describing Silva as "one of the best players in the world". For his performances, Silva was awarded Manchester City's Player of the Month by the club's supporters for two consecutive months in September and October.

On 6 November, in the Manchester derby, Silva scored City's second goal in a 2–0 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford. On 24 November, Silva became the first player in the Champions League to register a 100% passing rate, being named man of the match, as he provided an assist for Gabriel Jesus, in City's 2–1 home win against Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League group stage match, to ensure his team qualification to the round of sixteen. For his performances, Silva was named Manchester City's Player of the Month for November, becoming the first player to win the award in three consecutive months.

On 15 February 2022, Silva scored a brace and provided an assist in a 5–0 away win over Sporting CP in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie, being named man of the match for the second match in a row.

Having spent the majority of his first four seasons in Manchester providing width on the right, he was transformed into the ultimate utility player over the course of this season. Though functionally a central midfielder, he has spent time at both centre forward (he scored from there against Manchester United) and defensive midfield. He ended the season with 13 goals and 7 assists in all competitions.

On 17 May 2023, Silva scored a brace in a 4–0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg, which secured his club's qualification to the second Champions League final in their history. On 10 June, he provided a crucial assist to Rodri, who scored the match-winning sole goal in the Champions League final against Inter Milan, securing Manchester City's win for their first ever Champions League trophy and completing a continental treble. He was selected in the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League team of the tournament. On 23 August 2023, he extended his contract until 2026.

On 29 October, Silva was lauded for his role in a dominant 3–0 victory against Manchester United in the Premier League. On 20 April 2024, he scored City's winner in the 84th minute in a 1–0 victory against Chelsea in their FA Cup semi-final.

International career

2013–2018: Youth level and first international tournaments

In 2013, Silva represented Portugal at the 2013 European Under-19 Championship, reaching the semi-finals. For his performances, he was named among the top 10 talents under the age of 19 in Europe by a selection of UEFA reporters.

On 31 March 2015, Silva made his senior debut for Portugal, starting in a 0–2 friendly defeat to Cape Verde in Estoril.

On 27 June 2015, Silva scored Portugal U21s' first goal in a 5–0 win against Germany U21 in the semi-finals of the European Under-21 Championship in Czech Republic. He was left out of the Portuguese squad for the finals of Euro 2016 due to injury.

Silva was selected for the Portugal squad for the 2017 Confederations Cup which was hosted in Russia. He scored the second goal of the match in the group stage of the tournament, a 4–0 win over New Zealand. The national team reached the semi-finals before losing out to Chile in a penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw at the end of regulation time. He missed the third place play-off in which Portugal defeated Mexico 2–1 after extra time.

Silva was named in Portugal's 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He featured in all 4 matches with Portugal, but was knocked out of the tournament after a 2–1 loss to Uruguay.

2018–present: Nations League titles and subsequent tournaments

Silva was selected for three matches in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League group stage, scoring a goal and providing an assist in a 3–2 victory against Poland on 11 October. Portugal topped their Nations League Group and qualified for the UEFA Nations League Finals held in Portugal. In the semi-finals on 5 June 2019, Silva provided two assists to Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick resulting in a 3–1 over Switzerland to reach the final. In the final of the tournament four days later, he provided a crucial assist to Gonçalo Guedes, who scored the match-winning sole goal at the '' Estádio do Dragão'' against the Netherlands, with Portugal winning the trophy on home soil, as he went on to be named the tournament's best player.

Silva continued his fine form throughout the qualifying process for UEFA Euro 2020, finishing the qualifying campaign, with three goals and six assists, including a brace of assists in a 6–0 over Lithuania. He would be named in Portugal's final squad for the delayed final tournament, appearing in all games of the eventual round of 16-exit to Belgium.

In October 2022, Silva was named in Portugal's preliminary 55-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, being included in the final 26-man squad for the tournament. He appeared in all of Portugal's matches in the tournament in an eventual quarter-final exit to Morocco after losing 1–0.

Despite an underwelming World Cup tournament, his form improved under new manager Roberto Martínez, who used Silva as one of his pilar for his team. He would finish the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers campaign with three goals and four assists, including captaining Portugal for the first time on 11 September 2023, in a 9–0 home defeat of Luxembourg in the same phase, their biggest win in international history.

On 21 May 2024, he was selected in the 26-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2024. On 22 June, Silva scored his first goal in a major tournament for Portugal, being awarded player of the match, as he scored the first goal in a 3–0 win against Turkey, securing his country's qualification to the knockout phase. In Portugal's round of 16 match against Slovenia, he played the full 120 minutes and scored the team's third kick of the penalty shootout which they won 3–0. Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals to France after losing 5–3 in another penalty shootout, despite scoring his side's second spot kick.

On 23 March 2025, Silva featured in his 100th international match for Portugal against Denmark during the Nations League quarter-finals, which ended in a 5–2 victory after extra time. After being selected for Portugal's squad for the finals, he and his team would go on to win the tournament 5–3 in a penalty shootout over rivals Spain.

Style of play

Silva is a diminutive, elegant, and creative left-footed playmaker, with a slender build, who is capable of playing in several attacking and midfield positions. Throughout his career, he has been fielded in a variety of roles, including as a winger on either flank (although he favours the right side of the pitch), as a central midfielder, as a deep-lying playmaker, as an attacking midfielder, or even as a second striker; he has also been deployed in a false 9 role, or even as wing-back on occasion. He is mainly known for his technique, acceleration, agility, passing, ball control, vision, creativity, and dribbling skills, as well as his energy and defensive work-rate, which enables him to cover ground, press opponents, and start attacks after winning back possession. Although he is known for his ability to carry the ball forward, run at defences, and retain possession, he is also known to be an intelligent team player, with a strong personality, who prefers to participate in the build-up of offensive plays rather than undertaking individual dribbling runs. Despite primarily being a creative midfielder, he is also capable of scoring goals himself.

Personal life

Silva's English has been described as "perfect" by the media, partly as a result of his parents sending him to an English-speaking school in Lisbon when he was six years old. In addition to English and his native Portuguese, Silva speaks French and Spanish. His cousin Matilde Fidalgo, also born in 1994, has represented Portugal and Manchester City's women's teams. Silva has a French Bulldog named John after the footballer John Stones. Silva is a supporter of Portuguese club S.L. Benfica. On 1 July 2023, he married his fiancée Inês Tomaz.

Career statistics

Club

International

:''Portugal score listed first, score column indicates score after each Silva goal''

Honours

Benfica
*Primeira Liga: 2013–14
*Taça de Portugal: 2013–14
*Taça da Liga: 2013–14

Monaco
*Ligue 1: 2016–17

Manchester City
*Premier League: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
*FA Cup: 2018–19, 2022–23; runner-up: 2023–24, 2024–25
*EFL Cup: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21
*FA Community Shield: 2018, 2019, 2024
*UEFA Champions League: 2022–23; runner-up: 2020–21
*FIFA Club World Cup: 2023

Portugal U21
*UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2015

Portugal
*UEFA Nations League: 2018–19, 2024–25
*FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2017

Individual
* Segunda Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2013–14
* SJPF Segunda Liga Player of the Month: October 2013, December 2013 & January 2014
*UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2013
*UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2015
* UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: January 2017
*UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2016–17
*PFA Team of the Year: 2018–19 Premier League, 2021–22 Premier League
* Manchester City Player of the Year: 2018–19
*Manchester City Goal of the Season: 2022
* Alan Hardaker Trophy: 2019
* UEFA Nations League Finals Player of the Tournament: 2019
*UEFA Nations League Finals Team of the Tournament: 2019
* IFFHS Men's World Team: 2019
* ESM Team of the Year: 2021–22
*UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2022–23
* FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2023

See also

* List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps

References

External links

Profile
at the Manchester City F.C. website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Silva, Bernardo
1994 births
Living people
Footballers from Lisbon
Portuguese men's footballers
Men's association football midfielders
Men's association football wingers
S.L. Benfica B players
S.L. Benfica footballers
AS Monaco FC players
Manchester City F.C. players
Liga Portugal 2 players
Primeira Liga players
Ligue 1 players
Premier League players
UEFA Champions League–winning players
Portugal men's youth international footballers
Portugal men's under-21 international footballers
Portugal men's international footballers
2017 FIFA Confederations Cup players
2018 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2020 players
2022 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2024 players
UEFA Nations League–winning players
Portuguese expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Expatriate men's footballers in Monaco
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in England
Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Monaco
21st-century Portuguese sportsmen
FIFA Men's Century Club