Silva inherits Portugal captaincy after Ronaldo's retirement
Bernardo Silva has been appointed captain of the Portugal national team following Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement, the federation confirmed on Tuesday, noting that the 32‑year‑old Real Madrid midfielder succeeds Ronaldo after his 23‑year spell that yielded 234 caps and 146 goals.
Jesus explained that the captaincy is awarded to the player with the most international appearances, and he confirmed that Silva holds the highest tally after Ronaldo.
He added that the five players with the most caps have all previously played under his management at club level.
Leadership group under Silva
The new leadership group will consist of Silva, a former Manchester City midfielder, centre‑back Ruben Dias, full‑back Joao Cancelo, midfielder Ruben Neves and Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, who had also been hoping to take the armband.
Jesus listed the order of caps after Ronaldo as Silva, followed by Dias, Cancelo, Neves and Fernandes.
Ronaldo retired with 234 caps and 146 goals after a fallout with Jesus in September, having been dropped for the win against Norway.
He subsequently demanded talks with the Portuguese FA and was fined £215.
In an emotional statement, Ronaldo said his journey began in August 2003 and that he was handing the number 7 shirt to the future.