Bernardo Silva

Bernardo Silva is a confirmed midfielder in Portugal's 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup on 19 May 2026, named by Roberto Martínez alongside Bruno Fernandes, Rúben Neves, Vitinha, João Neves and Samú Costa in the midfield group. The Manchester City midfielder is 31 at kick-off and brings 107 senior Portugal caps and 14 international goals, as of 16 November 2025, into the tournament, making this his third senior World Cup after Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.

Portugal face DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia in Group K, opening against DR Congo at NRG Stadium in Houston on 17 June. Martínez's side won UEFA Group F to qualify on 16 November 2025, with NRG Stadium hosting two of Portugal's three group fixtures.

Bernardo Silva is a diminutive, elegant left-footed playmaker with technique, acceleration, agility, passing, ball control, vision, creativity and dribbling skills. He also brings energy and a defensive work-rate that lets him cover ground, press opponents and start attacks after winning the ball back.

Across his career he has been deployed as a winger on either flank (with a preference for the right), as a central midfielder, a deep-lying playmaker, an attacking midfielder, a second striker, a false 9 or a wing-back. In Martínez's possession-heavy 4-2-3-1, his role centres on chance creation and arrival in the final third from the half-spaces.

Portugal sit in Tier 2 at £24m within the game's £200m card budget — a second-tier call rather than a premium top-band slot. The Group K draw against DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia frames the early fixture window, with Martínez's 4-2-3-1 and the UEFA Group F qualifying run setting the team-slot context.

Bernardo Silva is the playmaker behind Portugal's £24m midfield slot. His passing, ball control and chance-creation profile, combined with the defensive work-rate to win the ball back, give Martínez a versatile half-space option — the kind of central creative contribution that pays back the slot when he starts.