From Para To The Champions League: The Rise Of Qarabag’s Matheus Silva | OneFootball

Qarabag have been one of the surprise packages in this season’s Champions League. After six matches in the group stage, they have seven points and are in contention for a place in the playoffs.

They’re not just here to make up the numbers. They’re showing real intent, putting in solid performances and genuinely eyeing progression into the next round of the competition. Holding things down on the right side of their defence is Brazilian right-back Matheus de Barros da Silva

Better known as Matheus Silva, he began his career in his native Brazil. Born in Marituba, a small municipality in the state of Pará in northern Brazil, Silva’s footballing journey started close to home. He came through the ranks at São Francisco, based in the city of Santarém, also in Pará.

It was there that he made the transition from youth football to the professional game, taking his first real steps towards the career that’s now brought him to the European stage.

“My earliest memories are of playing in the streets of my neighbourhood, with friends, using anything as a goalpost and ball. That’s where my passion for soccer was born and where I started dreaming of making a living from it someday,” Matheus Silva tells WFI.

After his spell at São Francisco, Silva made the move to Paysandu before joining one of the biggest clubs in the region, Bahia. It was there that he made his professional debut, featuring in a 0-0 draw against Fluminense de Feira. The jump was a big one for Silva, who had to quickly adapt from the smaller setups of São Francisco and Paysandu to the demands and expectations of one of the most established clubs in northeastern Brazil.

“I remember everything was new,” he said of his time at São Francisco. “I was fulfilling a dream of being in a professional club, training every day. It was a phase of great learning and understanding how football really works on a daily basis.”

“Transitioning from the youth sides into professional football was a natural but challenging process. The pace changes a lot, and the level of demand is different. I had to mature quickly and take advantage of every opportunity that came my way.”

Following a season at Bahia, Silva opted for a new challenge, this time moving abroad to Portugal. First, he joined Farense on loan before signing a permanent deal with Moreirense, marking his first experience outside of his home country. It was another major step in his development, requiring him to adjust to a different style of football and a new way of life away from what he had known in Brazil.

“In Bahia, I found a very good structure and a passionate fan base,” he said. “It was an important experience for my growth because the level of competition was even higher, and that made me evolve a lot as an athlete.

“Through the work and visibility I’d gained in Brazil, my agent presented the offer to move to Portugal, and I immediately saw it as a chance to grow and adapt to European football.

“It was a mix of emotions. I missed my family, but the desire to win and experience something new spoke louder. I treated it as a challenge and an opportunity to evolve.”

Following his time in Portugal, Silva was on the move once again, this time to Bulgaria, where he joined Lokomotiv Plovdiv. During his spell there, he featured in 36 league matches and found the net twice from his right-back position, continuing to showcase his consistency and attacking intent down the flank.

“The sports project caught my attention,” he said of the move to Bulgaria. “It was a club that believed in my potential and wanted to give me a chance. I saw it as an opportunity to continue growing and showcase my work in another European country.”

Then came his most recent move, joining Qarabag in 2023, a club that has become like home for him. His time there has been nothing short of successful, winning two league titles and an Azerbaijani Cup along the way.

In total, Silva has made over 100 appearances for Qarabag, scoring four goals and providing four assists from right-back. It’s the club where he’s played the most since turning professional, and his performances have seen him feature not only in the domestic league but also on the European stage, representing Qarabag in both the Europa League and the Champions League. Now 28, Silva continues to adapt and grow as he writes the latest chapter of his career abroad.

“The club’s structure, the project, and Qarabag’s consistency in European competitions — it’s a team that always fights for titles and has a winning mentality; that weighed heavily in the decision to join the club,” he says.

“The trophies I have won here mean a lot. It’s recognition of daily work, dedication, and focus. Winning titles abroad shows that all the effort was worthwhile.”

Qarabag’s Champions League journey this campaign started back in July, with a trip to Shelbourne in Ireland during the qualifying rounds. They made the perfect start, claiming a 3-0 victory away from home, before completing the job with a 1-0 win on home soil. That set up a showdown with North Macedonia’s KF Shkëndija, a tie Qarabag dominated as they ran out 6-1 winners on aggregate.

The final qualifying round then saw them take on Hungarian champions Ferencváros. Qarabag produced another huge performance in the first leg, winning 3-1 in Hungary, before suffering a 3-2 defeat back in Azerbaijan. However, their work in the away leg proved decisive, and despite the narrow home loss, Qarabag had done enough to book their place in the Champions League group stage.

“We had very close games, but the group stayed united and confident,” Silva says of those qualifiers. “We believe in our work, and we’ve managed to grow at each stage. Focus and discipline were fundamental to getting where we are today.”

After coming through a gruelling qualification campaign, Qarabag showed straight away that they weren’t here to make up the numbers; they were here to compete. Their first group-stage fixture took them to Portugal, where they faced Portuguese giants Benfica away at the Estádio da Luz.

The Azerbaijani side got off to the worst possible start, falling 2-0 behind inside the opening 16 minutes, but refused to fold.

Goals from Leandro Andrade and Camilo Durán dragged them level, before Ukrainian forward Oleksii Kashchuk popped up with an 86th-minute winner to complete a remarkable comeback.

The result saw Qarabag become the first Azerbaijani side to defeat Portuguese opposition, sealing a historic night in Lisbon. Their first home match saw them defeat Copenhagen in a 2-0 home win.

“These results demonstrate the strength and commitment of the group,” Silva says of his team. “Qarabag has been growing season after season, and beating teams of this level shows that the work is being done well.

“Even with the score against us, nobody stopped believing. We adjusted a few details, stayed calm, and continued to trust in our game plan. That winning mentality made all the difference.”

Silva’s career hasn’t followed the usual route. From his early days in Pará with São Francisco, to stepping up at Bahia, adapting to European football in Portugal, earning his stripes in Bulgaria, and then making Qarabag feel like home, it’s been a journey shaped by sacrifice. Now, with titles won and Champions League nights added to his story, Silva is proof that the long road can still lead to the biggest stage.

“It fills me with pride and gratitude,” he says. “Looking back and seeing everything I’ve experienced motivates me even more. But I remain grounded, wanting to evolve every day and achieve even more in my career.”