The 18-year-old defender has burst onto the scene this season and is now being tipped by some to make Portugal's squad for the World Cup.
Benfica's academy has been churning out top-level talent for decades, with their recent graduates including the likes of Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix, Ruben Dias, Renato Sanches and Joao Cancelo.
It is a conveyor belt of talent that is showing few signs of slowing down either, given the Portuguese side won the prestigious UEFA Youth League last season, beating Red Bull Salzburg 6-0 in the final.
As with all great academy sides, the challenge is then knowing the right time to promote each player to the senior side – a challenge that former manager Jorge Jesus was criticised for not embracing during his time in charge.
This season, though, things have changed, with Roger Schmidt now in charge and willing to take a chance on youth when the opportunity arises.
Such an opportunity came about in August, when a defensive injury crisis allowed 18-year-old Antonio Silva to step in and make his senior debut.
Less than two months later, Silva is an automatic pick for Schmidt's side, has shackled the world's best in the Champions League and is being linked to some of the biggest clubs in world football.
So, what makes him so special? Let NXGN explain…
Getty ImagesWhere it all began
Silva's first steps into football came in his home town of Viseu and, by the age of 11, having hopped around a handful of local clubs, it was clear that he had the potential to become a professional.
He visited Sporting C.P.'s academy on multiple occasions while Porto also showed an interest in signing him, but the boyhood Benfica fan in the end opted for the club of his heart.
It was not all smooth sailing, as Silva became homesick and was forced to move back to Viseu for a short period. However, by the time he reached his mid-teens, he was comfortable living in Lisbon.
On the pitch he excelled, earning his debut for Benfica's Under-23s shortly after his 17th birthday, and was key in last season's Youth League triumph, playing every minute of the competition while also contributing a crucial goal in the last-16 win over Midtjylland.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break
Having already made a couple of appearances for Benfica's B team in the second division of Portuguese football, it was expected that Silva would spend the 2022-23 campaign learning his trade at that level.
But when Schmidt was left with just one fit senior centre-back, Nicolas Otamendi, for his side's meeting with Boavista on August 27, Silva got the call to step up and fill the void.
A booking in the seventh minute did not bode well, but the teenager recovered to put in a strong performance, and though he was benched the following week, he has since started every other game, racking up five clean sheets in his first nine senior appearances.
"Antonio is 18, but when you see him on the pitch, he doesn't look that age," Schmidt said after one of Silva's early performances. "It was obvious in pre-season that he is a talented player and that he is already a professional player who is able to withstand the pressure playing for the Benfica first team, and he has shown it many times this season."
Getty ImagesHow it's going
While the Portuguese top flight does not have a huge amount of depth when it comes to elite centre-forwards, a Champions League group containing Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus has given Silva an early chance to test himself against the best Europe has to offer.
To say he has passed the test would be an understatement.
He began by dominating his duel with Dusan Vlahovic in Benfica's win over Juve, keeping the €75-million striker quiet as the Bianconeri slumped further into crisis.
Silva backed that up a few weeks later when facing the might of PSG's stellar forward line of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
The teenager was again assured in the face of three modern-day icons, marshalling Mbappe particularly well, and almost marked his performance with a goal, only to be denied by a fine Gianluigi Donnarumma save.
Getty ImagesBiggest strengths
Standing at 6'2'' (188cm), Silva does not want for physical presence, and he uses it to his advantage, winning plenty of aerial duels and key clearances.
Perhaps his best attributes, though, are those that make the best modern centre-backs the players that they are.
His anticipation of when to step in and make a challenge or interception is outstanding for a player of his age, and during the early weeks of his first-team career he has regularly snuffed out attacks with well-time interventions.
He is also extremely comfortable when in possession, with his mid-to-long passing ability a real standout part of his game.
Silva's favourite pass is a clipped ball over the top, usually down the line for a forward to work the channels and leave space for Benfica's attacking midfielders to break into, and he shows great accuracy and weight of pass when delivering them.