Valērijs Šabala

Early career

As a youth player, Šabala was a member of Daugava Rīga academy. With the club winning the 2008 Latvian First League and being promoted to the Latvian Higher League for the 2009 season, Šabala was one of the youngsters to be included in the first team squad by the manager Vladimirs Beļajevs. Šabala made his debut on 15 October 2009, having just turned 15, when he came on as a substitute in the 46th minute in an 8–0 loss against the defending champions FK Ventspils. Three days later, he appeared in the match against FC Tranzit, coming on as a substitute in the 88th minute. After Daugava Rīga were relegated to the Latvian First League, Šabala joined the Latvian Higher League newcomers JFK Olimps in January 2010. Šabala scored his first Latvian Higher League goal on 23 April 2010 in a match against Skonto Riga. At the time he was 15 years and 193 days old, which made him the youngest ever goalscorer in the history of Latvian championship and all the top tier European football leagues. His record was broken on 10 June 2014, when Skonto Riga midfielder Jānis Grīnbergs scored a penalty against Daugava Daugavpils being just 15 years and 102 days old. Throughout the season, Šabala appeared in 21 league matches and scored six goals.

Skonto Riga

In February 2011, Šabala joined that time Latvian Higher League champions Skonto Riga. In his debut season with the club. he was rarely used in the first eleven and often came on as a substitute, scoring two goals…

Šabala was a member of all international youth teams and made his debut for the Latvia senior team on 24 May 2013 in a friendly match against Qatar. In the next match, he scored his first goals for the national team, scoring twice in a friendly against Turkey, becoming the youngest ever international goal scorer for Latvia. His first official qualifier match was the 2014 World Cup qualifying match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Club

As of 16 July 2014

International

Scores and results list Latvia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Šabala goal.

Skonto

Latvian Cup: 2011–12 Baltic League: 2010–11 KÍ Klaksvik

Faroe Islands Premier League: 2022 Latvia

Baltic Cup: 2014, 2016, 2018 Individual

Latvian Higher League Young Player of the Year: 2011, 2012 Latvian Higher League Forward of the Season: 2013 I liga top scorer: 2018–19 Polish Cup top scorer: 2025–26