Bernardo Silva Named New Captain of Portugal

A new era has begun for the Portugal national team. Bernardo Silva was named captain after Cristiano Ronaldo bid farewell to international football. Ronaldo announced his retirement on Thursday, completing a 23-year career with 234 matches and 146 goals.

Head coach Jorge Jesus confirmed the decision as he announced the 28-man squad for the UEFA Nations League matches against Denmark and Wales on Friday. Jesus said he would continue the tradition of determining Portugal's captains based on the number of national team appearances. Silva has 115 international caps.

Jesus praised Silva's experience, quality and form at Real Madrid. The coach stressed that the 32-year-old midfielder is a starter at Madrid, one of the best teams in the world. Silva made his senior national team debut in 2015 and was part of the squad that won the 2016 European Championship and the 2025 Nations League trophies.

Silva had already captained the team in Ronaldo's absence. After Ronaldo's announcement, Silva shared a post on his Instagram account, saying he was proud to have played alongside his former captain for years and that he has been an inspiration to everyone.