Ambitious aim: HSV star Vieira targets World Cup with Portugal! | OneFootball

With his loan move to HSV, Fabio Vieira wants to get his stalled career back on track. The Portuguese has a clear goal in mind.

After just two appearances for Hamburger SV, Fabio Vieira has already made a big impression. In the 2-1 home win against 1. FC Heidenheim, the 25-year-old shone in a central role and showed why he is considered the great hope of the promoted team. “I haven’t seen a player like him in an HSV shirt for a long time,” raved stadium announcer Christian Stübinger during his substitution.

What “Stübi” means by this: Vieira is playing at a level that simply hasn’t been seen at HSV in recent years. In terms of pure technical ability, the Portuguese only has to hide from a handful of players in the Bundesliga.

The reason for his high individual class lies in his youth. “I had some difficulties, especially physically,” Vieira recalls in an interview with Sport Bild. “Many were taller than me. But my coaches recognized my footballing qualities and supported me.”

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Vieira: World Cup participation “of course a wish”

The playmaker wants to bring these qualities to the Portuguese national team one day – ideally already at the 2026 World Cup. “Of course, it’s a wish of mine to be there. For that, it’s important to show my qualities here in the Bundesliga and gain self-confidence,” he says.

The task, however, could hardly be more difficult: In central midfield, the Selecao boasts a wealth of world-class players. And Vieira himself is still waiting for his debut with the senior team. Between 2019 and 2023, he made 25 appearances for the U21 national team.

During this period, he also became acquainted with superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. “He came to us often and tried to be close to us,” reports Vieira. “He gave us advice, always to work hard on ourselves and listen to the coach.”

But Ronaldo’s eternal rival, Lionel Messi, is also a great inspiration for the skillful technician. At least in part, he took the Argentine as a role model: “I’m also left-footed like him, and I watched how, for example, he looks for the finish after a dribble.”

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