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“Getting to the top is very difficult, but staying there is much harder.”
Cristiano Ronaldo made a mockery of his own declaration. The extraterrestrial Madeiran was, indeed, nominated for FIFA’s top annual individual award 18 times in succession, inspiring innumerable Portuguese in the process.
Among them was Janice Silva. Like Ronaldo, she was born into impoverished circumstances. Like Ronaldo, she had to overcome obstacles to make it pro. And like Ronaldo, she’s gone on to climb to her sport’s summit and stay there.
The 28-year-old has been shortlisted for the Best Women’s Player award in each of a last five years – a feat beyond the GOAT Amandinha and everyone else. Now Janice, who was born in Amadora, the birthplace of Ruben Dias, Jorge Jesus, Nani and Renato Sanches, is fixated on success at the first FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup™.
Janice chats to FIFA about inspiration from Ronaldo, her insatiable quest to get better and better, where she ranks among the planet’s best pivots, the quality of team-mates Ana Catarina and Fifo, and Portugal’s hopes at Philippines 2025.
Janice Silva: It’s not easy, year after year, because nowadays there are many young women who have shown a lot of talent. Sometimes it’s difficult to always maintain the same level of consistency, but Benfica also provide all the conditions we need to perform at our best. Every year, I want more, I want to work harder, I want to learn from the best, I want to play against the best. That’s how the cycle is year after year.
I think there are several very talented pivots from Spain, Brazil, Italy, Argentina. I think each one has their own characteristics. In my case, I’m a much more mobile pivot; I’m not a very static pivot. I’m a pivot who looks to be involved in the play. I think I also stand out because I’m basically always in the position to score goals.
Lucileia is exceptional. She has so, so, so much quality, can put the ball wherever she wants, and shoot with both feet with great ease. There’s also [Vane] Sotelo of Spain, who’s really, really, really good. She is very agile and has great control. Then there’s Rafaela Dal’Maz of Italy who usually gives us a lot of problems.
The draw turned out to be good for us, but we’re preparing for each team. We’re going to do our best to finish in first place and then move on to the next challenge. It’s about taking it game by game. It won’t be easy because every team have their own qualities. Above all, we respect every opponent we face. I think it will be an excellent World Cup. I think it will be a dream for every athlete.
They have a lot of talent. I think they play with their eyes closed because they’ve known each other for years and years. They have players who have a lot of experience and who’ve been playing together for the national team for many, many years. When you have that core group that has been playing together for many years, everything becomes much easier. If we end up playing them, it will be a good test. We’d have to be careful about how we approach them. We played them in a friendly last year and their players are way, way above average.
Ana Catarina is an exceptional goalkeeper. For those who work with her at club level every day, she’s a goalkeeper who’s never satisfied with what she does. She always wants more and more and more, because that’s in her make-up, it’s part of her. Even in training – it’s training, it’s not a game – she’s very focused on every little detail. That’s why she’s so special. Also, one of the things that stands out about her is the way she communicates with team-mates – ‘You have to do this, you have to fine-tune that’. She talks a lot on the court. Without any shadow of doubt, she’s the best goalkeeper in the world for me.
Fifo and I have known each other for over 15 years. We’ve played together for a long time, and I think she’s the player who understands me best, understands where I want the ball. People say we play together with our eyes shut. When players have that bond, it makes things much easier. She’s an exceptional player. She has the maturity to handle big games and she has great talent. She was the best player in the Olympic Games a few years ago. She’s someone I get on with super, super well on and off the court.
It was an incredible feeling to see our national team win something. I think it reassures us that we always have to work harder, give our best, amend the little things that make a difference. Those players ended up being role models for us. Right now we’re going into our first World Cup, a historic tournament for women’s futsal. That team showed us that nothing is impossible. We have to believe to be able to make it happen. If you don’t believe, you won’t achieve anything.
Pany Varela is, without any shadow of doubt, an exceptional player. He has incredible game vision. He always makes opponents feel his presence. What he does on the court is absurd. Sometimes we interact on futsal-related things. Now he’s playing for Benfica, communication is even easier. Sometimes we arrive at training and they’re leaving. He’s a player that has great quality technically and tactically.
It was already a special moment for me, because I had been nominated for an award at the Portuguese Gala. Meeting Ronaldo was an incredible moment. It’s every player’s dream to meet a king of football. He truly is a king of football. I told my grandmother, my mother that I had taken a photo with Ronaldo. It was a very beautiful moment. It’s not often you see the best player in the world, a king stood next to you. I was in shock the moment I saw him!
My relatives weren’t expecting it. Nor was the community I’m from. I live in a poor area. The kids want to become footballers or futsal players, and I feel they sometimes see me as a role model, an example. That really moves me. What I always say is that nothing is impossible; you just have to believe. If I can do it, you can too. I had difficult moments in my life when I considered quitting futsal. Then I took a two-year break when I was super demotivated. My mother was working 10am till 10pm to try and change mine and my brother’s life. I was lucky to find the Benfica Foundation, which made me believe anything is possible. Now I’m sat here talking to you. Ronaldo was always an excellent role model. He started from scratch, had difficult moments to overcome, and managed to reach the level he’s at.
I think, all things considered, it’s impossible to predict. Every team has excellent players, a lot of quality. I think every team will be focused, prepared. I think the teams who wins the title will be the one that makes the fewest mistakes. This is a really, really beautiful moment in the futsal world.
📸 Photos courtesy of the FPF
