Fabio Vieira of FC Porto (Photo by Diogo Cardoso/Getty Images)
As 32 of the world’s best teams compete in the first-ever edition of the FIFA Club World Cup, it goes without saying that there are quite a few major absences. There’s no Barcelona, who claimed a domestic treble in Hansi Flick’s first season in charge. There’s no Napoli, who edged Inter to the Scudetto on the final day of the campaign. There’s no Sporting, who have won back-to-back Liga Portugal titles. And there’s no Arsenal, who finished second in the Premier League for a second straight season and arrived on the doorstep of the UEFA Champions League Final.
However, there is one Arsenal player who is participating in the Club World Cup: Fábio Vieira. And at 25 years old, he finds himself at a crossroads in his career.
Back Where It Started
Born in Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal, Vieira joined Porto’s youth ranks in 2008 and ascended through the Olival setup before eventually making his first-team debut in 2020. The languid playmaker developed a stellar partnership in midfield with Vitinha, winning the 2018-19 UEFA Youth League and helping Portugal reach the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Final, before eventually enjoying a breakout campaign in 2021-22. A central attacking midfielder by nature, Fábio was able to influence proceedings thanks to his seamless passing, creative vision, and quick combination play. When Porto lost star winger Luís Díaz midway through the campaign to Liverpool, they only went up a gear, thanks in large part to Vieira, breaking the league record for most points in a season and claiming a domestic double.
These stellar displays saw Vitinha earn a big-money move to Paris Saint-Germain, while Vieira made the move to Arsenal for €35 million plus €5 million in add-ons that same summer. But whereas Vitinha has staked his claim as one of the best players in world football and emerged as a vital cog in PSG’s Champions League triumph, Vieira wasn’t quite able to make his mark under Mikel Arteta. He decided to leave Arsenal and return to Porto on a season-long loan, racking up 40 appearances so far and finding the regular playing time that had deserted him in North London. And while he is playing a starting role in midfield for his boyhood club, his future remains uncertain.
“At this moment, I don’t think it’s ideal to speak about these topics. Right now, I’m representing FC Porto, and as such, I’m fully concentrated in this competition, my colleagues, and their performances… that’s what matters,” stated a visibly frustrated Vieira, replying to RG question. “The rest, we’ll see in the future.”
In the Spotlight Again
Operating alongside new signing Gabri Veiga and Argentine midfielder Alan Varela in the center of the pitch, Vieira helped keep things neat and tidy in possession and also threatened Palmeiras goalkeeper Weverton on several occasions. He racked up one shot on target, one shot off target, and completed 18 of 21 passes, as well as registering two key passes. Vieira also displayed his precision in the final third, completing four of six crosses and his lone long ball.
The main critique leveled against Vieira has been his lack of physicality, but in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Vieira proved that he could handle the dirty side of the game by coming out on top in two of three ground duels, winning two fouls, and also winning his only aerial duel and logging an interception.
“It was a very divided game. We knew what we were going to get with Palmeiras—a team that’s very well organized,” said Vieira.
“We’ve already known Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira from his time in Portugal with Braga. We tried to prepare our game in the best possible way in order to win the match. We had a lot of opportunities, just like Palmeiras… and in the end, it was a point for each team. I think the game could’ve ended 5-5 or 5-4—there were a lot of opportunities for both teams, but I think whichever team would have scored first would’ve ended up winning.”
Porto will head south to Atlanta to face off against MLS side Inter Miami on Thursday before returning to New Jersey to take on Egyptian side Al Ahly on Monday, and they’ll be counting on Vieira as they look to conquer the FIFA Club World Cup.
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will look to reintegrate Vieira into the squad, send him out on another loan, or sell him to another club, with the 25-year-old’s contract set to expire in 2027. However, one thing’s for sure: if Arsenal do decide to offload him this summer, he won’t be short of suitors.
Zach Lowy
