Thiago Silva wins FIFA Club’s World Cup Golden Ball and is named Player of the Tournament

Thiago Silva was named man of the match as Chelsea defeated Palmeiras 2-1 in Abu Dhabi to lift the FIFA Club’s World Cup on Saturday.

The Brazilian received the Golden Ball reserved for the best player on the pitch, despite giving away the penalty through which Palmeiras drew level in the second half.

With 62 minutes gone, Silva handled the ball as he tried to challenge Gustavo Gomez after a long throw sparked panic among Chelsea’s defenders. 

Referee Scott Beath consulted VAR before pointing to the spot and Raphael Veiga sent Edouard Mendy the wrong way to cancel out the opener Romelu Lukaku had netted just seven minutes earlier.

Silva’s mistake eventually did not prove costly for the Blues as Kay Havertz, who had scored the winner in last season’s Champions League final, converted a penalty with three minutes left in extra time to win the game for Chelsea.

Nevertheless, the fact Silva was chosen as the man of the match despite giving away a penalty earlier in the game puzzled some viewers.

‘Thiago Silva picking this awards despite conceding the penalty. Haha individual awards make me laugh,’ tweeted @IconicLampard, while another user added:  ‘Thiago Silva with that experience gave out a cheap penalty’.

Penalty incident aside, however, the 37-year-old was again at his imperious best for the Blues on Saturday and was also named player of the tournament.

‘What a player. What a career,’ tweeted Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker.

After winning 25 major trophies during 12 seasons in European football with AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, Silva signed for Chelsea on a free transfer in the summer of 2020.

Following a relatively slow start, the 37-year-old quickly established himself as a key lynchpin for the Blues’ backline and played a crucial role in their Champions League triumph last season.

The Brazilian is five months older than Cristiano Ronaldo and his performances sparked comparisons with the Portuguese, who earlier on Saturday went without scoring for a sixth consecutive game as Manchester United drew 1-1 with Southampton.

Several Twitter users pointed out that while Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – who is three younger than his Portuguese rival and just four years Silva’s junior – appear on the wane, the Brazilian remained as influential as ever.

Others took the comparison with Ronaldo even further, suggesting that Silva has been a better signing than the Portuguese so far. 

In terms of silverware that is hard to deny, given the Brazil international has won three major trophies – he lifted the European Super Cup in August to go with the Champions League and the Club’s World Cup – in just over 18 months at Stamford Bridge.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, returned to United last summer 12 years after leaving for Real Madrid but his first season back at Old Trafford could end up empty-handed unless United win the Champions League.