Why isn’t Bernardo Silva starting for Portugal against Colombia at the 2026 World Cup?

Bernardo Silva has been one of Portugal‘s undisputed pillars in recent years, a status mirrored by his immense success at Manchester City, where he captained the squad during the 2025-26 season. With the top spot in the group completely up for grabs in this final first-round clash against Colombia, questions are rising over why he was excluded from the starting lineup.

Silva will begin the match on the bench due to a specific tactical decision by head coach Roberto Martinez. Aiming for a more direct attacking approach, the Spanish manager has opted for the pure pace of Pedro Neto and Joao Felix to stretch Colombia’s defense, prompting the decision to leave the City playmaker out of the opening eleven.

This marks the second consecutive time Bernardo Silva has been named to the substitute bench during this 2026 World Cup campaign. After starting in the disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo in the tournament opener, the midfielder was dropped from the lineup against Uzbekistan, logging just 14 minutes of action as a second-half sub.

Bernardo Silva emerges as the casualty of Martinez’s tactical shift

Throughout Roberto Martinez’s tenure as Portugal‘s manager, Bernardo Silva has been one of the most consistent fixtures in the starting lineup. Whether anchoring the squad during Euro 2024, the 2025 Nations League, or the demanding European World Cup qualifiers, the Manchester City midfielder was viewed as entirely indispensable.

However, the frustrating 1-1 draw against DR Congo served as a major turning point for Martinez, who quickly realized he needed to overhaul his midfield dynamics for the rest of the tournament. To inject more fluidity and balance, the Spanish coach decided to install PSG’s built-in double pivot of Vitinha and Joao Neves to control the center of the pitch.

With the two PSG stars anchoring the deeper midfield roles, only one advanced central slot remained available, which naturally went to Bruno Fernandes after his spectacular campaign as the Premier League’s 2025-26 Player of the Season. This tactical reshuffle forced Bernardo Silva out to the right wing, where his lack of raw, explosive pace and isolated 1v1 dribbling eventually caused him to lose his starting role.

With no central midfield openings left and a clear tactical preference for traditional, speedy wingers on the flanks, the City captain has suddenly been relegated to a bench role. It is a high-stakes gamble by Martinez to sit one of his most trusted veterans, and the final result against Colombia will dictate the fallout of this massive selection decision.