Francesco Farioli’s FC Porto have been flawless in domestic competition, advancing in the cups without unnecessary dramatics and winning all of their opening ten league matches in professional fashion.
Midfielder Gabri Veiga has been at the forefront of operations, enjoying an incredible week of football, contributing to four goals between Estoril Praia (Liga Portugal) and SSC Napoli (UEFA Champions League).
The Spaniard has truly come into his own this season, scoring and assisting on twelve occasions. While supermarkets may be promoting all things Christmas, it is worth remembering that we have only just entered the month of November.
With ice in the veins while ‘Os Dragões’ breathe fire, PortuGOAL’s latest Figure of the Week is propelling Portugal’s best back to familiar highs in Europe and Portugal. Kevin Fernandes reports.
An invisible string
Gabriel Veiga Novas was born in O Porriño, Pontevedra, roughly fifteen minutes from Spain’s northern border with Portugal. He joined Celta Vigo’s academy aged 11, rapidly rising through their ranks and making his senior debut for Vigo’s reserves aged 17.
Veiga would make his first-team debut one year later, eventually emerging as a regular under Portuguese manager Carlos Carvalhal. An elite progressor, the teenager showed he had the grit to make an impact in the harsher side of the game. Veiga established himself as a top prospect of the Spanish game alongside the likes of Gavi and Pedri.
The former Premier League and Championship coach promoted Veiga definitively in the first weeks of 2023, where he rapidly became a mainstay in Celta’s lineups.
The pleasure intertwined with panic for Celta, as former president Carlos Mouriño once admitted: “It seems a matter of when rather than if Veiga leaves Galicia and earns a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs. We do not want to sell Gabri Veiga, but they are going to buy him from us and we can’t do anything about it. We know some of the salary offers and it’s impossible for us to match them. Of the top ten teams in the Premier League, four have asked us about him.”
Making waves at U-21 international level and in one of the best domestic divisions in world football, it seemed that Mouriño’s greatest fear would become reality. However, before Gabri met his destiny, his rise would take an unexpected turn.
An elite win not seen as an elite move
In August 2023, Gabri Veiga joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, signing a three-year deal after they activated his €40 million release clause.
Despite winning ‘Ma'aqil Al-Usood’ their first ever AFC Champions League Elite title and earning generational wealth that is unfathomable to billions, the move was heavily criticised by the masses, including legends like Toni Kroos who labelled it as “embarrassing”.
Once one of world football’s most sought-after young players, many feared that Gabri’s career would stagnate.
But Gabri’s game-changing decision making is evidently not limited to the football pitch, as he reportedly took a staggering 90% salary cut to return to the highly regarded European football landscape.
Gabri Veiga joined Futebol Clube do Porto, and the rest, as they say, is history (in the making).
Valiant Veiga
The northern side have been extremely dominant (unwavering defensive solidity and offensive efficiency) in Portugal in the last 15 months and Veiga is one of the main executors, fusing old-school box-crashing with indefatigable ground coverage and duelling.
Gabri is maturing as once expected. Now in his mid-20s, Veiga is more consistent as a protagonist, despite his fiery nature (disciplinary problems sporadically cut his matches short, by the referee or the coach) and not having the most varied passing range from deeper zones.
Gabri Veiga is the latest PortuGOAL Figure of the Week and one of the best players operating in Portugal.
Kevin Fernandes’ Team of the Week (Gameweek 10):
My @ligaportugal Team Of The Week - GW10 (One player per team, one will become the latest @PortuGoal1 'Figure of the Week' - weekly article out soon, written by yours truly) https://t.co/ILTHeESPEZ
— Kevin Fernandes (@kevinaraujof) November 6, 2026
