Transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri confirmed the agreement, with A Bola and Record also reporting Silva's appointment as imminent. He will leave Fulham when his contract expires at the end of June having spent five years at Craven Cottage, taking them from the Championship to a sustained mid-table Premier League presence across four top-flight seasons.
Silva, 48, becomes Benfica's head coach at a moment of significant transition. Mourinho led the club to an unbeaten Primeira Liga campaign this season — the first in the club's history — but finished third behind Porto and Sporting CP, with an excess of draws ultimately costing them the title. His move to Real Madrid leaves Benfica searching for a manager capable of sustaining that level of domestic performance while also returning to the Champions League.
Ruben Amorim had been linked with the job earlier in the week, with reports suggesting the club had made contact with the former Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United manager. Amorim declined.
Other names on Benfica's shortlist included Andoni Iraola, Xavi Hernández and Thiago Motta, but Silva's direct approach to the club — first reported by A Bola — accelerated discussions and enabled an agreement to be reached quickly.
Silva's record at Fulham stands at 103 wins, 42 draws and 83 defeats from 228 matches, which represents the most successful managerial tenure at the club in the Premier League era. He guided them to promotion in his first season in charge and then established them in the top flight, finishing tenth, 13th and 11th in successive campaigns.
His ambitions always appeared to extend beyond Craven Cottage and a return to Portuguese football at the country's most prominent club satisfies both the personal and professional pull he has described in interviews over the years.
Silva previously managed Sporting Lisbon for one season, as well as spells with Olympiakos, Hull City, Watford and Everton before joining Fulham in 2021.