"I'm not going to answer questions about Real Madrid. I'm in far too important a context to focus on anything else.
"I'm very happy, but I'm concentrated on the national team. The next few weeks will be dedicated exclusively to the national team."
It was Silva's first public appearance since landing on American soil, fronting up to reporters in Palm Beach Gardens a day before Portugal fly to Toronto for a last-32 date with Croatia. The Real Madrid talk was shut down almost before it had started.
There's a reason for the frosty response. The 31-year-old has been dropped by Portugal after their opening 1-1 draw with DR Congo, with head coach Roberto Martinez turning to Al-Nassr forward Joao Felix for the last two group games. Getting his shirt back is all that matters to Silva now.
"We came here with the ambition to play, the coach has a difficult job. I've been through this in my career too, of course I want to be part of the team and I think I can help. I'm ready to help in whatever way I can, whether that's playing five minutes or being in the dressing room."
Silva knows exactly where the responsibility lies for winning back his place.
"It's not for me to talk about the coach's decisions. That's what we have a coach for, and he has a very difficult job. Everyone comes here wanting to play and to be part of the team. He's the one who makes the decisions. When it's not up to us, it's up to us to give our best, create a good atmosphere and be ready to give the best response when the opportunity comes."
Portugal take on Croatia in Toronto on Thursday, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafael Leao almost certain to lead the line regardless of who lines up in support. Martinez is giving nothing away on his team, leaving Silva to sweat it out in training and hope it's enough to change his coach's mind before the biggest game of the tournament so far.