*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:05, 6 October 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:11, 12 October 2024 (UTC)
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 treblethe 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 Leaguefinal, and was an integral part of the side who sealed a first-ever continental treble in 2022–23.
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.[8] His good performance for Benfica B in the 2013–14 Segunda Liga earned him the league's Breakthrough Player of the Year award.[9]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.[10][11]
On 7 August 2014, Silva joined Monaco on one-year loan deal.[12] He made his debut on 17 August in a Ligue 1 away match against Bordeaux, replacing Lucas Ocampos in the second half.[13]On 21 September, he made his first start, in a 1–0 home win against Guingamp.[14] On 14 December, he scored the only goal of a home win against Marseille.[15]
On 20 January 2015, Benfica announced that Silva's economic and sports rights had been sold to Monaco for €15.75 million;[16] he signed a contract for Monaco that would expire on 30 June 2019.[17] On 10 April, he scored twice in a 3–0 away win against Caen.[18] On 10 August 2015, Silva extended his contract by one year, tying him to the club until June 2020.[19]
In the 2016–17 Champions League group stageaway match against CSKA Moscow on 18 October 2016, Silva scored Monaco's equalizer in the 87th minute to ensure that the match finished in 1–1 draw.[20] 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.[21] 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.[22] 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.[23][24]
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 Guardiolaand his backroom staff.[25] 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.[26] Silva officially joined the club on 1 July 2017, ahead of the 2017–18 season.[27]
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.[28] 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.[29] 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[30][31] and helped them to a record 100 points in the Premier League and the EFL Cup.[32]
Silva made 51 appearances for Manchester City during the 2018–19 season, scoring 13 goals and adding 14 assists in all competitions.[33] 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.[34] 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[35] and won the Manchester City Player of the Season award, voted by the fans.[36]
In the 2019–20 season, Silva scored a hat-trick in an 8–0 thrashing of Watford in the Premier League on 21 September.[37] Days later, he was accused[by whom?] of being racist towards his teammate Benjamin Mendy in a tweet which likened the player's appearance to that of a dark-skinned advertising mascot;[38] Mendy said that he was not offended.[39] 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.[40] In October 2019, Silva was nominated as one amongst 30 candidates for Ballon d´Or.[41]
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.[42] On 20 January 2021, Silva scored his first league goal of the season in a 2–0 home win over Aston Villa.[43]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.[44]
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.[45] It was reported that he was unhappy in Manchester, with Spanish La Liga side Atlético Madrid and Serie Aside A.C. Milan being interested in signing him.[45]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".[46] 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.[47][48]
On 6 November, in the Manchester derby, Silva scored City's second goal in a 2–0 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford.[49] 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.[50]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.[51][52]
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.[53]
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.[54] He ended the season with 13 goals and 7 assists in all competitions.[55]
On 29 October, Silva was lauded for his role in a dominant 3–0 victory againstManchester Unitedin thePremier League.[5]He scored City's winner in the 84th minute in a 1–0 victory againstChelseain their FA Cup semi-final.
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