Young Latvian striker Veinbergs debuts in Finnish top league
Latvian-born, Finnish-raised striker Nils Veinbergs played his first match in the Finnish top football league, coming on as a substitute for TPS.
Nils Veinbergs, a Latvia U19 international who grew up in Finland, made his debut in the Finnish top football league on Tuesday. He belongs to Tampere's "Ilves" but is currently on loan at TPS. In the match against SJK, Veinbergs entered the pitch in the 74th minute with the score at 1-2, but TPS lost 1-3 away.
Veinbergs spent the first half of the season on loan in the Finnish second-tier club "Ekenas", scoring five goals in 12 games. Last season, he played for Ilves' reserves in the fourth tier, netting seven goals in 24 matches. TPS sporting director Kasper Hämäläinen praised the newcomer: "We were looking for reinforcement in attack, and Nils is a player we already know well. He is a tall and physical striker who can hold up the ball, is very skillful for his size, and most importantly, he is a goal scorer. He also poses a threat in set pieces, and I believe he will fit perfectly into our team."
TPS currently sits 7th out of 12 teams with 19 points from 14 games, ahead of both SJK (14) and "Ilves" (16). Last year, TPS finished second in the Finnish second division. Veinbergs helped Latvia U19 reach the Elite round of 2026 European Championship qualification, starting four matches in the qualifiers but not scoring.
