Former Chelsea star Thiago Silva has not given up hope of playing for Brazil at the 2026 World Cup.
Silva, 41, captained the national team at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, but has not played for Brazil since they were eliminated by Croatia on penalties in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Qatar.
A key player for Fluminense, the club he returned to after leaving Chelsea in 2024, Silva admitted he is close to ending his football career but told France Football: "Can you imagine if I end my career with a World Cup title?
"It would be the absolute dream and the perfect moment to stop."
Silva scored seven goals in 113 appearances for Brazil and lifted the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013 and the Copa América in 2019.
His contract with Fluminense expires in June 2026.
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"Yes, it was somewhat premeditated [signing with Fluminense until June 2026]," the former Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan centre-back said.
"I haven't been called up [to Brazil's squad] since the 2022 World Cup, but I thought it wasn't impossible. That's why I signed two years with Fluminense, to try and play in the World Cup."
Brazil, under coach Carlo Ancelotti, are hoping to win the country's sixth World Cup title in 2026.
They have not lifted the World Cup since 2002 and the closest they have come since was a fourth-place finish in 2014, when they hosted the event.
