Between Kids, Dogs and Real Madrid: What Bernardo Silva Has Planned After the World Cup
Free from City, Bernardo Silva heads into the World Cup with a second child on the way and his professional future wide open. Portugal's opener is on the 17th, in Houston.
Bernardo Silva will go into the 2026 World Cup with his mind split between the pitch and his family. The 31-year-old attacking midfielder, who has just left Manchester City after nine seasons, has yet to decide on his next club — and, for now, he doesn't seem to be in any rush.
According to a report by ge.globo.com, the player is in a moment of personal fulfilment: he is already father to Carlota, born in August 2023, and is expecting a second child with his wife Inês. His family will be in the United States during the tournament, but the Portuguese squad's training-camp schedule limits contact. Bernardo admitted that being away from his children is the hardest part of life as a high-performance athlete, while also reinforcing his desire to grow the family even further — with plans that go beyond the second child.
On the professional front, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid have all been reported as interested parties, but no decision has been made. Portugal, managed by Roberto Martínez, are in Group K alongside Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uzbekistan. In warm-up friendlies, Bernardo started in the 2–1 win over Chile and came on at half-time in the 2–1 victory against Nigeria — signs that he remains one of the manager's trusted names. Golmetria's model estimates an 87.28% chance of Portugal advancing from the group stage and a 4.82% probability of winning the title.
Portugal's opener takes place on the 17th at 14:00 (Brasília time) against the Democratic Republic of Congo in Houston — and Bernardo's performance in that match could be the first indicator of how much weight he will carry in Portugal's run towards the knockout rounds.