Roberto Martinez explains Antonio Silva's Portugal World Cup omission

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has addressed the exclusion of defender Antonio Silva from the 2026 World Cup squad. The manager moved to dismiss persistent speculation that the decision was linked to the leak of tactical team sheets ahead of Portugal's Euro 2024 match against Georgia.

Martinez confirmed that a thorough internal investigation concluded the security breach was entirely accidental rather than a disciplinary failure. He emphasized that the incident, which occurred two years ago, played no role in his current selection process.

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. Antonio learned from it, but that's not part of the decision now. Roberto Martinez

The decision to leave the 22-year-old out of the tournament roster is based on his domestic performance at Benfica. Silva struggled for consistency under Jose Mourinho throughout the campaign, frequently losing his starting position to 24-year-old Tomas Araujo, who has been preferred for the final international squad.

Portugal is set to begin their 2026 World Cup campaign in Group K, facing DR Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia. Their opening match is scheduled for June 17 at NRG Stadium in Houston. For Silva, the upcoming summer break provides an opportunity to regain form and attempt to force his way back into national team contention in the future.