Bernardo Silva will captain Portugal’s national team following Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement from international football.
Portugal manager Jorge Jesus confirmed the appointment, saying the player with the most caps takes the armband .
Silva, a Real Madrid midfielder, has made 115 appearances for Portugal, scoring 14 goals.
“In the national team, captains are chosen based on their international appearances,” Jesus said.
“The logic will remain the same. The player with the most international caps after Cristiano Ronaldo is Bernardo Silva.”
Ronaldo announced his retirement on Thursday, ending a 23-year international career in which he scored a record 146 goals in 234 appearances.
Silva made his Portugal debut in 2015 and won the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.
He joined Real Madrid as a free agent in the summer after his contract at Manchester City expired.
Jesus also named Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves as part of the leadership group.
“Then there’s Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Neves, and Bruno Fernandes. Not in any particular order, but these are the five who will be captains,” Jesus said .
Silva has been named in the squad to face Denmark and Wales in the UEFA Nations League in the upcoming international break.
