Thiago Silva returns to Europe to play for FC Porto | OneFootball

Thiago Silva is heading back to European football. After two years with Fluminense, the veteran defender has signed with Porto, officially joining the Portuguese side on a free transfer until the end of the 2025/26 season, with the option to extend his deal through to summer 2027.

He’ll be eligible to play from January, when the registration window opens.

The 41-year-old defender returns to a stadium where he once lifted European glory - the Estádio do Dragão - recalling his Champions League triumph with Chelsea in 2021.

The centre-back described the move as a return to a “familiar place in search of what was missing back then: glory with the first team.”

This isn’t Silva’s first spell in Portugal either. Two decades ago, he had a brief stint with Porto B, featuring in 14 games before heading back to Brazil and making his name at Fluminense.

Since then, he’s enjoyed a glittering career with top clubs like Milan, PSG and Chelsea, picking up 31 trophies in total, including that memorable 2020-21 Champions League win.

Porto are currently leading the Primeira Liga, five points clear of Sporting CP, and Silva will join a side in flying form, eager to add further silverware to his remarkable collection.

Famiglia Portista, o Thiago Silva é um de nós ????#SeguimosJuntos pic.twitter.com/xCQOYtnuob

— FC Porto (@FCPorto) December 20, 2025