Paulo César da Silva Barrios (born 1 February 1980) is a Paraguayan former professional international

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who played as a

centre-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...

. He is one of the players in football with most official appearances ever with over 1,039 official appearances. He played top-flight football in Mexico, Paraguay, Spain, England, Italy and Argentina, mostly in Mexico, where in 2015 became a naturalized Mexican citizen. He played for the Paraguay national team from 2000 to 2017, and is their most-capped player of all time, earning over 100 caps, with the

Paraguayan Football Association The Paraguayan Football Association ( ; APF) (Guarani language, Guarani: ''Paraguái Mangapy Atyguasu''), is the omnibus governing body of football (soccer), football in Paraguay. It organizes the Paraguayan football league system, Paraguayan fo ...

recognizing 150 caps, but

FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...

148. He played at two World Cups and four

Copa América The CONMEBOL Copa América (; known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship), often simply called the Copa America, is the top men's quadrennial association football, football tournament contested among list of men's national ass ...

tournaments, helping his country finish as runners-up in the

2011 Copa América The 2011 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, better known as the 2011 Copa América or the Copa América 2011 Argentina, was the 43rd edition of the Copa América, the main international association football, football tournament for national ...

. A player highly regarded, in December 2023, featured in a legends match organized by

CONMEBOL CONMEBOL ( ) or CSF (; ; ), is the continental governing body of football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations. The oldest continental confederation in the world, its headquarters are located in Luque, Parag ...

Club career

Early career

Born in

Asunción Asunción (, ) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay of Asunción in the north ...

, Da Silva started his career in the youth divisions of

Atlántida Sport Club Atlántida Sport Club, known simply as Atlántida, is a Paraguayan football club based in Barrio Obrero in the city of Asunción. It was founded on December 23, 1906. It plays in the Third Division of Paraguayan football. Among his achievement ...

, arriving at the club at the age of 13. In 1996, da Silva reached the

Primera División Paraguaya Primera may refer to * Nissan Primera, a car * Primera Air, a former airline * Primera división (disambiguation), multiple top division football leagues * Primera, Texas, a town in Cameron County, Texas * Alí Primera Ely Rafael Primera Ros ...

with Asunción team Presidente Hayes at the age of 16.

Mexico

Before joining Toluca, da Silva played for

Perugia Perugia ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...

Venezia Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

and

Cosenza Cosenza (; Languages of Calabria#Northern Calabrian (Cosentian), Cosentian: ''Cusenza'', ) is a city located in Calabria, Italy. The city centre has a population of approximately 70,000, while the urban area counts more than 200,000 inhabitants. ...

of Italy, and

Lanús Lanús () is the capital of Lanús Partido, Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. It lies just south of the capital city Buenos Aires, in the Greater Buenos Aires conurbation, metropolitan area. The List of cities in Argentina, city has a populati ...

of Argentina. He joined

Toluca Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. Toluca has a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Grea ...

from Paraguayan

Club Libertad Club Libertad is a Paraguayan professional football club based in Asunción that currently plays in the Paraguayan Primera División. The club plays its home games at Estadio Tigo La Huerta; which holds 10,100 people. Founded in 1905, Liber ...

for the 2003 Apertura. After making his debut, da Silva was a mainstay in Toluca's defence, starting all but one game that he has played and eventually becoming the team's captain due to his leadership on the field. In 2007, he was chosen for the "Ideal Eleven" squad of South America and in 2008 he led Toluca to the Apertura 2008 title, being chosen as the best overall player of the tournament by the Mexican media.

Sunderland

On 13 July 2009, Da Silva joined English club

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

on a three-year deal. Manager

Steve Bruce Stephen Roger Bruce (born 31 December 1960) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player who was a centre-back in a twenty-year playing career. He is currently the head coa ...

said "I'm delighted to have signed a player of Paulo's experience. He is captain of his country and has played at the highest level in South America, so will bring leadership qualities to our side." His arrival at the

Stadium of Light The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England, and the eighth and current home to Sunderland. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light is the ninth largest football stadium in England. The ...

was followed by a long and confusing period in regards to his visa application. Da Silva was granted a work permit to play in England almost immediately, but had to wait for over a month to get his visa before it was eventually granted on 12 August. He made his debut on 24 August against

Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...

in the League Cup second round, playing the whole 90 minutes of a 4–1 away win. On 12 September he made his first

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

appearance, replacing

Steed Malbranque Steed Claude Malbranque (born 6 January 1980) is a former professional association football, footballer. Born in Belgium, he represented France at international level. Malbranque started his professional career with Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon, bef ...

for the final ten minutes of a 4–1 home win over

Hull City Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...

. Da Silva was rotated throughout his first season at the club, but performed consistently when required. Manager

cited 'settlement' as the reason behind playing Da Silva in phases, stating he needed time to adjust to the English game and lifestyle. He was joined at the club by his international teammate Cristian Riveros in May 2010. Da Silva's second season at Sunderland saw him make just three appearances, only one as a starter. His last appearance for Sunderland came in their home defeat to

Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football, football club in Nottingham, England, which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of Football in England, English football, following promotion and relegation, promotion ...

in the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

on 8 January 2011.

Real Zaragoza

Da Silva joined

Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. (), commonly referred to as Zaragoza, is a football club based in Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, that currently competes in the Segunda División, the second tier of the Spanish football league system, Spanish league system. Zarag ...

from Sunderland on 31 January 2011 for an undisclosed fee, with his new club in 15th in

La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...

at the time. They finished the season in 13th.

Toluca

Da Silva re-joined

on 31 May 2013 in a two-year loan deal from Pachuca. On 11 May 2015, Toluca announced they had signed da Silva permanently. In December 2015, da Silva received a Mexican naturalization to disoccupy a foreign place in Toluca's team.

Return to Paraguay

On 26 June 2017, Da Silva returned to Paraguay to play for

. In March 2020, da Silva stated that he wanted to retire at Atlántida Asunción. In December 2021, the 41-year-old da Silva announced that the 2022 season would be his last. However, in 2023 he returned to playing for Independiente CG of 2023 Paraguayan División Intermedia first and later for 12 de Junio of 2023 Paraguayan Primera B Nacional. At the end of the season, da Silva was linked to becoming assistant manager next to Uruguayan

Sergio Órteman Sergio Daniel Órteman Rodríguez (born 29 September 1978) is a Uruguayan football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. Career Born in Montevideo, Órteman began his career in Uruguayan club Central Español in 1997. In 2001, ...

and was announced as such for Sol de América, next to

Humberto Ovelar Humberto Jesús Ovelar Rojas (born 24 December 1969) is a Paraguayan football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. Playing career Ovelar was born in Juan León Mallorquín, and made his senior debut with Cerro Porteño in 1987 ...

, but, in 2024, he again returned to playing for

in 2024 Primera División B, the club he commenced his career, where the 44-year-old da Silva announced it will be his last season playing. On 20 October 2024, after the final match of the season, Da Silva retired from playing.

International career

In 1994, da Silva was selected for the Paraguay U17 national team barely aged 14. In 2000, da Silva represented Paraguay U23 at the 2000 CONMEBOL Men Pre-Olympic Tournament. He played for Paraguay in 1997 and 1999

FIFA World Youth Championship The FIFA U-20 World Cup is the biennial football world championship tournament for FIFA members' men's national teams with players under the age of 20. The competition has been staged every two years since the inaugural tournament in 1977 when i ...

, but missed the

2002 World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea/Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

and Japan. However, he was named in the 23-man squad for the

2006 World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams represe ...

in Germany. He also played at the

2010 World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...

in South Africa, featuring in all five of Paraguay's games in their run to the quarter-finals, and provided an assist for Sunderland teammate Cristian Riveros in their 2–0 win against

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

in the group stages.

Managerial career

In 2023, at the end of the season, da Silva was linked to becoming assistant manager next to Uruguayan

and was announced as such for Sol de América, next to

, but, in 2024, he again returned to playing for

in 2024 Primera División B, the club he commenced his career, where the 44-year-old da Silva announced it will be his last season playing.

Personal life

In December 2015, da Silva became a

Mexican citizen Nationality in Mexico is defined by multiple laws, including the 30th article of the Constitution of Mexico and other laws. The Constitution's 32nd article specifies the rights granted by Mexican legislation to Mexicans who also possess dual nat ...

. In October 2017, da Silva helped found ''Asociación Mexicana de Futbolistas'' (Mexican Footballers Association).

Career statistics

:''Scores and results list Paraguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each da Silva goal.''

Honours

Libertad *

Primera División de Paraguay Primera may refer to * Nissan Primera, a car * Primera Air, a former airline * Primera división (disambiguation), multiple top division football leagues * Primera, Texas, a town in Cameron County, Texas * Alí Primera Ely Rafael Primera Ros ...

: 2002, 2003 Toluca *

Mexican Primera División Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divi ...

: 2005 Apertura, 2008 Apertura *

Campeón de Campeones Campeón de Campeones () is an association football competition in Mexico and the domestic super cup between the Liga MX champions of the ''Apertura'' and ''Clausura'' tournaments. It was initially a super cup match between the league and cup cha ...

: 2003, 2006 *

CONCACAF Champions' Cup The CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as CONCACAF Champions League (2008–2023), is an international association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for clubs from North America, Central America, a ...

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

Individual *Chosen on the

Best Eleven team: 2007 *Best player of the

Primera División de México Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divi ...

: 2008

Notes

References

External links

* * *
Real Zaragoza official profile
*
Paulo da Silva at oGol.com.br

* *
Paulo da Silva at 11v11
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silva, Paulo da 1980 births Living people Footballers from Asunción Paraguayan men's footballers Men's association football defenders Paraguayan people of Brazilian descent Paraguayan Primera División players Cerro Porteño players Club Libertad footballers Serie A players Serie B players AC Perugia Calcio players Venezia FC players Cosenza Calcio 1914 players Argentine Primera División players Club Atlético Lanús footballers Liga MX players Deportivo Toluca F.C. players Premier League players Sunderland A.F.C. players La Liga players Real Zaragoza players C.F. Pachuca players 12 de Octubre Football Club players Paraguay men's under-20 international footballers Paraguay men's international footballers 2006 FIFA World Cup players 2007 Copa América players 2010 FIFA World Cup players 2011 Copa América players 2015 Copa América players Copa América Centenario players Paraguayan expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Italy Expatriate men's footballers in Argentina Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico Expatriate men's footballers in England Expatriate men's footballers in Spain FIFA Men's Century Club Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Italy Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Argentina Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Mexico Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in England Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Spain Atlántida Sport Club players CONCACAF Champions Cup–winning players 21st-century Paraguayan sportsmen