Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus has lauded Bernardo Silva for his outstanding performances since joining Real Madrid. The national team manager highlighted the 31-year-old's seamless transition and elite consistency as he prepares to lead La Seleccao into their post-Cristiano Ronaldo era.
Jesus singles out Bernardo's Real Madrid impact
Portugal national team head coach Jorge Jesus has hailed Bernardo Silva following his sensational form in Spain. Speaking at the City of Football when unveiling his 28-man squad for Nations League matches against Denmark and Wales, the manager expressed immense pride in the midfielder's ongoing club campaign.
Bernardo has locked down a regular starting spot at the Santiago Bernabeu, cementing his reputation as one of Europe's premier playmakers.
Jesus emphasised that thriving at the highest level of European football makes Bernardo an invaluable asset for the national side.
'It's not easy to be a starter for Real Madrid'
Addressing Bernardo's performance levels, Jesus highlighted the sheer difficulty of establishing oneselfas an indispensable starter in the Spanish capital.
"He can offer his experience. He's going through a good phase at Real Madrid and it's not easy to be a starter in one of the best teams in the world," Jesus remarked during his press conference.
"I have no doubt about his value. Besides him, Portugal has players of enormous quality, who play for the best clubs in the world."
Real Madrid star positioned for Portugal armband
Bernardo's top-level consistency has also placed him at the forefront of Portugal's new leadership group following Cristiano Ronaldo's international retirement.
Jesus confirmed that captaincy duties are allocated strictly by international appearances, putting Bernardo in line to captain his country.
"The coach doesn't choose the captains. The choice is made based on the number of international caps," Jesus stated. "At the moment, there are five, and all of them were my players at the clubs I coached: Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo, Ruben Neves and Bruno Fernandes."
Portugal gear up for Nations League group finale
Portugal have already booked their place in the Nations League quarter-finals alongside Spain, but Jesus and Bernardo aim to lock down top spot in Group A4.
Selecao das Quinas host Denmark in Braga on 14 November before travelling to Cardiff to face Wales on 17 November.
With Bernardo driving the midfield, Portugal look to maintain their fine momentum and establish their credentials under Jesus's guidance.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
