Gabri Veiga answers Mora exit and sends FC Porto soaring | OneFootball

Rodrigo Mora’s move from FC Porto to AS Roma was one of the most talked-about topics of recent weeks, in a story that also involved Gabri Veiga and came to an end last Wednesday. The Spanish midfielder was seen as one of the reasons for the limited use of the young academy product from Olival, as he benefited from Farioli’s preference. Gabri Veiga, however, has ignored the noise at the start of the new season and taken on a decisive role in the blue-and-white side’s attack.

In FC Porto’s four official matches in 2026/27, the Spaniard has been directly involved in three goals, scoring two and providing one assist. Collectively, the national champions have scored seven goals so far, which means Gabri Veiga has been involved in 28.6% of the team’s attacking output. In addition, he shares top scorer status with fellow Spaniard Borja Sainz.

The numbers help show Gabri Veiga’s growing importance in Porto’s attacking play. Although the team has kept the framework of last season, the midfield features new “dynamics,” as Farioli explained after the win over Arouca, a match in which the midfielder once again caused damage.

“These are dynamics we work on. To get into the game, we often need to get on the ball, and that’s what Gabri Veiga did. It’s worth highlighting how the other players adapted to allow him to get on the ball so many times. In the first half, because of Arouca’s organization, the center-backs exchanged 65 passes and the third player with the most completed passes had around 20, which shows it was a game in which we needed a lot of patience and the right ambition when attacking. It was a game we managed to win with great calm and the right spirit when it was time to attack,” Farioli analyzed when asked about the greater freedom of movement enjoyed by the number 10, who appears both on the left and on the right.

In search of the best season of his career?

For now, Gabri Veiga seems determined to establish himself as one of the leading figures of the new FC Porto side, built under the guidance of Francesco Farioli. Last season, the midfielder developed at Celta scored six goals and also added 12 assists.

In terms of finishing, the Spaniard only managed to better that record in 2022/23, when he scored 11 goals for Celta. That season even contributed to his signing for Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli for 30 million euros.

His spell in Saudi football did not go as expected, and Gabri Veiga returned to Europe less than a year later. In 2025, he arrived at FC Porto, still in time to work with predecessor Martín Anselmi and to take part in the Club World Cup.

Now, a year later, the Spanish midfielder is considered a key piece by Farioli, who ultimately allowed Rodrigo Mora to leave.

The Porriño-born player’s main ambition is to surpass the best numbers of his career, also making the most of the visibility provided by the Champions League, a competition FC Porto is returning to.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.