RIO DE JANEIRO — Veteran defender Thiago Silva saw his stay at Fluminense come to an end on Wednesday and reportedly wants a move back to Europe to revive his hopes of playing for Brazil at the World Cup.
Fluminense announced the termination of the 41-year-old defender’s contract six months early. He had joined the Rio de Janeiro club in May of last year.
Fluminense said in a statement that the former AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea defender is leaving behind “a legacy of dedication and love to Fluminense.” He had also played there between 2006 and 2008.
Earlier this week, Sliva had said his contract with Fluminense, which ran through 2026, was penned with a trip to the World Cup in mind to end his career. Now the Brazil legend will have to look elsewhere to find club football ahead of next summer’s tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Thiago Silva does not plan to retire; his goal is to find a new club as close to London as possible, so he can be near his family and his eldest son, Isago, who recently signed his first professional contract with Chelsea, according to ESPN Brasil and multiple reports.
Earlier Tuesday, former Chelsea defender John Terry said on TikTok he would love to see the defender return to Stamford Bridge, where the Brazilian won the Champions League title in 2021. Terry said: “His two kids are in our academy. No doubt he is going to be back in London here with his family for Christmas.”
Thiago Silva helped Fluminense reach the semifinals of the Club World Cup in July and was a starter most of the season, which ends in December for Brazilian clubs.
The defender was in Brazil’s squad for the last four World Cups. He also won the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2019 Copa América with the national team.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
