What Is Thiago Silva's Net Worth and Salary?
Thiago Silva is a Brazilian footballer who has a net worth of $45 million. Thiago Silva is considered one of the greatest defenders of his generation and is known for his discipline and leadership on the field.
Early Life
Thiago Emiliano da Silva was born on September 22, 1984 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He began playing soccer as a child and was admitted into a school in the Campo Grande neighborhood of the city, which was a feeder school for Fluminense, a Brazilian sports club. At the age of 14, Thiago impressed Fluminese coach Maurinho during a friendly match and was then given a short trial at the school. He succeeded and joined the club. He then moved through a number of other clubs in his early teens, playing the position of defensive midfielder.
Career
Silva moved to the Juventude club in 2004 and played there for six months. At the age of 20, he transitioned from midfield to defense and was coached by Ivo Wortmann through the transition. In his only season at Juventude, he played exceptionally well and was rated by the sports magazine "Placar" as the third-best defender in Brazil. Due to his outstanding performance, Thiago caught the attention of many other clubs and was sold to Porto at the end of the year. However, he only ended up playing for the reserve team in Porto and then joined Dynamo Moscow. There, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was hospitalized for six months. His illness became progressively worse, and he almost did not recover.
Despite his health issues, Silva did return to soccer with the help of his former coach, Ivo Wortmann, who had signed as a coach by Fluminense. Wortmann requested to bring Silva with him and the team agreed to sign him. Despite a lackluster season in 2006, Thiago was described as one of the best players of the season and developed the nickname "O Monstro," Portuguese for "The Monster." The following season proved more successful for the club, as they finished fourth place in one of the major soccer competitions in Brazil and they also managed to score a historic victory in the 2007 Copa do Brasil, their first win of that competition. Silva played a critical role in the victory. His success in the season led him to be selected for Brazil's national team for the 2007 Copa America.
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In 2008, Silva continued improving, and he became an idol for the young fans of Fluminense. He was included in the 2008 Brasileirão Team of the Season and was selected as the Fans' Player of the Season. As his stardom grew, he again attracted the attention of even more prominent soccer clubs and ultimately decided to join AC Milan. He signed on for a four-year contract and had his debut season in 2009. Thiago remained in Italy through the end of the 2011-2012 season. While there, his dominance as a defender was more fully developed. He was named the captain of the Milan team in October, the first foreign captain in Milan in 50 years. He was regarded as one of the best defenders in Italy by multiple independent publications.
By mid-2012, Paris Saint-Germain was in negotiations with Silva and Milan to bring him to Paris. Originally, Milan was supposed to extend Silva's contract until 2017, but news soon after broke that he would be transferred to Paris for a transfer fee of around 42 million euros, the most expensive to date. Silva has publicly stated that he was not pushing for the transfer and would have been happy to remain in Milan.
In his debut match with Paris Saint-Germain, Thiago scored the second goal in the game, helping the team secure the victory. This strong start set Silva on a path to success with the team over the next years and seasons. By many fellow players, coaches, and fans, he was declared to be the best defender in the world. While with Paris, he won seven Ligue 1 titles, six Coupes de la Ligue, five Coupes de France, and also reached the 2020 UEFA Champions League Final. He also holds the record as the club's longest-ever serving captain.
In 2020, Silva signed with Chelsea for a free transfer. During his first season at the club, he won the UEFA Champions League. He extended his contract with the club through the end of the 2022-2023 season.
In addition to club play, Silva has had a strong international career. He played in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics for Brazil. He has also participated in the FIFA World Cup for Brazil on numerous occasions, as well as the Copa America. In 2022, Netflix released "Captains," an eight-part sports docuseries that follows the six national team captains, including Silva, in their respective 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifications campaigns.
Personal Life
Thiago and his wife, Isabele, have two sons, Isago and Iago. Silva and his family are Christians and attend church regularly. After residing in France for seven years due to his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, Silva announced that he and his family had become French citizens. In addition to English and Spanish, Thiago speaks French, Italian, and Portuguese.
