Portugal found the mole! Defender revealed to have leaked team as Roberto Martinez explains decision to leave him out of World Cup squad

The 22-year-old defender faced heavy scrutiny following revelations that he prematurely disclosed tactical team sheets prior to Portugal's Euro 2024 match against Georgia. Despite generating immense institutional frustration at the time, Martinez confirmed an internal investigation concluded the security breach was an entirely unintentional mishap. The technical staff heavily emphasised that the historical administrative blunder played no part in the decision to axe the central defender from the current tournament roster.

Reflecting on the internal fallout from the tournament in Germany, the Spanish tactician vehemently dismissed ongoing rumours regarding any lingering disciplinary issues. Speaking to Portuguese newspaper Record, Martinez said: "When there's a tournament and information leaks out, it's a very serious situation. At that time, we investigated and it was an accident. It wasn't a lack of discipline.

"It happened at Euro 2024 and that's not part of the decision now. Two years have passed. It happens in group dynamics and it's important to remember the most important thing: it was an accident and not an act of indiscipline. Antonio learned from it, but that's not part of the decision now."

The 20-cap international has endured a highly challenging domestic campaign under Jose Mourinho at Benfica, frequently losing his starting spot to 24-year-old Tomas Araujo. The club situation ultimately dictated Martinez's international hand, leading him to favour Araujo for the final tournament roster. Silva’s career has hit a sudden plateau since that fateful, mistake-ridden night against Georgia, though he did manage seven subsequent international caps before his final warm-up appearance in March.

Portugal face a physical group-stage test at the 2026 World Cup after being drawn into a highly competitive Group K alongside DR Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia. Martinez's squad will kick off their campaign at Houston's NRG Stadium on June 17 before navigating subsequent group-stage fixtures. Meanwhile, the omitted Silva faces an important summer break to regain form before attempting to force his way back into national team reckoning.