Raphael Veiga

Raphael Veiga
	Veiga with Palmeiras in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Raphael Cavalcante Veiga
Date of birth	19 June 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth	São Paulo, Brazil
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	Palmeiras
Number	23
Youth career
	Portuguesa
2010–2013	Pão de Açúcar
2013–2016	Coritiba
Senior career*
Years	Team
2016	Coritiba
2017–	Palmeiras
2018	→ Atlético Paranaense (loan)
International career‡
2023–	Brazil
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 May 2024; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 November 2023

Raphael Cavalcante Veiga (born 19 June 1995) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Palmeiras and the Brazil national team.

Club career

Coritiba

Born in São Paulo, Veiga represented Portuguesa and Pão de Açúcar as a youth before joining Coritiba in September 2013.^[1] He spent two years in the youth setup before being promoted to the main squad in February 2016.^[2]

Veiga made his professional debut on 10 March 2016, coming on as a second-half substitute for Thiago Lopes in a 3–0 Primeira Liga home win against Avaí.^[3] He made his Série A debut on 23 July, starting in a 1–0 away win against Santa Cruz.^[4]

Veiga scored his first goal as a senior on 3 August 2016, but in a 1–3 loss at Vitória.

Palmeiras

After 19 league appearances and three goals, Veiga was sold to Palmeiras on 19 December, signing a five-year contract.^[5]

Loan to Atlético Paranaense

On 2 January 2018, after being sparingly used by Verdão, Veiga moved to Atlético Paranaense on a one-year loan deal.^[6] While on loan, he became a regular starter, and scored seven goals as the club finished seventh; he was also an important unit in the 2018 Copa Sudamericana, as Furacão ended up champions.

Breakthrough

Back to Palmeiras for the 2019 season, Veiga was not a regular starter under managers Luiz Felipe Scolari and Vanderlei Luxemburgo. In 2020, after the arrival of new manager Abel Ferreira, he became an undisputed first-choice and scored on a regular basis.^[7]

On 27 November 2021, Veiga scored the opener in a 2–1 win over Flamengo, in the 2021 Copa Libertadores Final.^[8]

On 12 February 2022, Veiga scored a penalty against eventual 2021 FIFA Club World Cup winners Chelsea, in a 2–1 loss.

International career

Veiga received his first call-up to the Brazil national team in March 2023 for a friendly match away against Morocco. Veiga was subbed on in the 65th minute in a 2–1 loss.

Veiga was called up again in June 2023, where he was used as a sub in both of the Seleção's matches during that international break, during a 4-1 against Guinea and a 4-2 loss against Senegal, both being friendly matches.

In September of 2023, Veiga was included in Brazil's squad for their matches against Bolivia and Peru in the CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifying matches. He was an unused sub during Brazil's 5-1 victory over Bolivia, but was subbed on in stoppage time in their match against Peru, which Brazil won 1-0.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 28 May 2024^[9]

Club	Season	League			State league^[a]		Copa do Brasil		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Coritiba	2016	Série A	19	3	0	0	1	0	—		1^[b]	0	21	3
Palmeiras	2017		11	0	7	1	1	0	1^[c]	0	—		20	1
	2019		19	3	4	1	1	0	6^[c]	1	—		30	5
	2020		26	11	9	1	8	4	10^[c]	2	2^[d]	0	55	18
	2021		31	10	4	0	2	0	12^[c]	5	3^[e]	3	52	18
	2022		19	3	13	7	3	2	9^[c]	6	4^[d]	3	48	21
	2023		30	9	14	3	4	1	10^[c]	3	1^[f]	2	59	18
	2024		5	0	12	7	2	0	4	2	1^[g]	0	24	9
	Total		141	36	63	20	21	7	52	19	11	8	293	91
Atlético Paranaense (loan)	2018	Série A	31	7	—		7	0	10^[h]	2	—		48	9
Career total			191	46	63	20	29	7	62	21	12	8	364	103

^ Includes Campeonato Paranaense, Campeonato Paulista
^ Appearance in Primeira Liga
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Appearance(s) in Copa Libertadores
^ ^a ^b Appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
^ One appearance and two goals in Supercopa do Brasil, two appearances and one goal in Recopa Sudamericana
^ Appearance in Supercopa do Brasil
^ Appearance in Supercopa do Brasil
^ Appearances in Copa Sudamericana

Honours

Club

Palmeiras

Copa Libertadores: 2020, 2021
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2022, 2023
Copa do Brasil: 2020
Campeonato Paulista: 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024
Recopa Sudamericana: 2022
Supercopa do Brasil: 2023
FIFA Club World Cup Runner Up: 2021

Atlético Paranaense

Copa Sudamericana: 2018

Individual

Copa do Brasil Golden Ball: 2020
Copa do Brasil Team of the final: 2020
Copa Libertadores Team of the Year: 2021
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year: 2021
Best Attacking Midfielder in Brazil: 2021^[10]
Bola de Prata: 2021, 2023
South American Team of the Year: 2021
Man of the Match the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup: Palmeiras 2x0 Al Ahly
Campeonato Paulista Team of the Year: 2022, 2023^[11]
Man of the Match the Supercopa do Brasil: 2023
Campeonato Paulista Best Player: 2023^[11]

References

^ "Meia é destaque no Coritiba no Brasileiro, mas já foi reprovado como goleiro no Corinthians" [Midfielder is Coritiba's spotlight in the Brasileiro, but was already refused as a goalkeeper at Corinthians] (in Portuguese). ESPN Brasil. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
^ "Estudante de educação física, Raphael Veiga é promovido ao grupo do Coxa" [Physical education student, Raphael Veiga is promoted to Coxa's squad] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
^ "Em clima de amistoso, Coritiba vence o Avaí na despedida da Primeira Liga" [In a friendly fashion, Coritiba defeat Avaí in Primeira Liga's farewell] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
^ "Contra o Santa Cruz, Coritiba vence a primeira fora de casa e sai do Z-4" [Against Santa Cruz, Coritiba win the first away from home and leave Z-4] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 23 July 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
^ "Palmeiras anuncia acerto com meia Raphael Veiga por cinco anos" [Palmeiras announce deal with midfielder Raphael Veiga for five years] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
^ "Palmeiras acerta empréstimo de Raphael Veiga ao Atlético-PR" [Palmeiras complete loan of Raphael Veiga to Atlético-PR] (in Portuguese). Lance!. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
^ "Raphael Veiga evolui em um ano com Abel, melhora números e se firma de vez no Palmeiras" [Raphael Veiga evolves in one year with Abel, enhances his numbers and is established at Palmeiras] (in Brazilian Portuguese). ge. 7 November 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
^ "Decisivo na final da Libertadores, Veiga iguala temporada mais artilheira pelo Palmeiras" [Decisive in the Libertadores Final, Veiga equals his top goalscoring season at Palmeiras] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Lance!. 4 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
^ Raphael Veiga at Soccerway. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
^ "Confira todos os ganhadores do Troféu Mesa Redonda 2021 - Gazeta Esportiva". www.gazetaesportiva.com. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
^ ^a ^b "Sem Abel, Palmeiras domina seleção do Paulistão; veja time ideal e outros prêmios" [Without Abel, Palmeiras dominate the Paulistão best XI; see the team and other awards] (in Brazilian Portuguese). ge. 10 April 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.