Thiago Silva makes Europa League debut at 41 | OneFootball

Thiago Silva started in FC Porto’s victory over VfB Stuttgart on Thursday in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League round of 16. The experienced centre-back, now 41 years old, made his debut in the competition and also wrote his name into the record books.

The Brazilian defender became the oldest outfield player - excluding goalkeepers - ever to feature in the tournament. Despite enjoying a long and distinguished career, the Brazil international had never previously appeared in a Europa League match.

The Dragons had established a comfortable lead in Stuttgart before the half-hour mark. Terem Moffi opened the scoring, before Rodrigo Mora made the most of a cross from Zaidu Sanusi to add the second goal of the evening.

However, Deniz Undav collected the ball in a dangerous area after a fine passing move by the home side, pulling one back and bringing the German side back into the tie. The second leg will be played at Estádio do Dragão on 19 March at 20:00.

It is also worth noting that Thiago Silva has so far made seven appearances for the blue and whites, having previously graced Europe’s biggest stages for many years. Upon arriving in Porto, the centre-back brought with him 31 career trophies - including the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup - making him one of the most experienced members of the current FC Porto squad.