Nicola Profeta

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Profetaand the second or maternal family name is Cabrales.

Nicola Profeta

Personal information
Full name	Nicola Profeta Cabrales [1]
Date of birth	(2006-02-27) 27 February 2006 (age 18)
Place of birth	Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) [1]
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	Santos U20
Youth career
	Centro Gallego
	Garotos de Mello
	Ciudad Vinotinto
2017–2023	Deportivo Cali
2024–	Santos
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2023–2024	Deportivo Cali	2	(0)
2024–	Santos	0	(0)
International career‡
2022	Colombia U15	3	(0)
2023	Colombia U17	4	(0)
2023–	Venezuela U17	7	(1)
2023–	Venezuela	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 December 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 December 2023

Nicola Profeta Cabrales (born 27 February 2006) is a Venezuelan footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for the under-20 squad of Brazilian club Santos and the Venezuela national team.

Early life

Profeta was born in Puerto La Cruz in the Venezuelan state of Anzoátegui to a Venezuelan mother and a father with Italian citizenship. ^{[2] [3]}

Club career

Deportivo Cali

Having taken an interest in football from the age of three, Profeta began his career in his native Venezuela with academy sides Centro Gallego de Puerto La Cruz, Garotos de Mello PG and Ciudad Vinotinto FC. ^{[4] [5]} In 2017, his family travelled to neighbouring Colombia for a vacation, and while in the country they decided to stay, due to the Crisis in Venezuela. ^[4] Shortly after making the stay permanent, Profeta joined the academy of professional side Deportivo Cali. ^[4]

Profeta made his professional debut with Deportivo Cali on 29 November 2023, coming on as a second-half substitute for Juan Castilla in a 2–0 home loss to Deportes Tolima. ^[6]

Santos

On 7 March 2024, Profeta agreed to a deal with Brazilian club Santos, ^[7] but his registration was not made on time as the Profeta only had an amateur deal at Deportivo Cali, which delayed the transfer clearance. ^[8] He was only officially registered in July, and also trained with the first team squad. ^[9]

International career

Youth

Colombia

Profeta is eligible to represent Venezuela, Colombia and Italy at international level. Having represented Colombia at the 2022 Bolivarian Games, where Colombia finished in third place, Profeta was named in the Colombia under-17 squad for friendlies ahead of the 2023 South American U-17 Championship. ^[10] He was named captain of the side for the tournament, but his performances failed to impress as Colombia were knocked out in the first round, finishing bottom of their group with only one point. ^[10]

Venezuela

In July 2023, it was reported that Profeta had switched his international allegiance to Venezuela, accepting an early approach from the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF) to represent the nation at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup. ^{[10] [11]} This was confirmed on 31 July by the FVF, when Profeta was called up to a training camp at the National High Performance Center  [ es ] on Margarita Island. ^[12] The following month Profeta stated in an interview with Colombian radio network RCN Radio that, despite "taking advantage of the personal opportunity that Vinotinto [had given] him", he had not closed the door to a potential call-up by Colombia in future. ^[13]

His first action with the Venezuela under-17 side came at a friendly youth tournament in Niigata, Japan, where Venezuela beat the under-18 side of Turkish side Galatasaray, the Turkey under-17 national team, the Japan under-17 national team, a representative side from the Niigata Prefecture and the New Zealand under-17 national team to win the tournament. ^[14] Despite his earlier comments, in which he stated that he could one day represent Colombia in future, he stated in an October 2023 interview that "Colombia is already the past, that is already behind us" and that he was "building a new future" with Venezuela. ^[15]

Senior

On 6 December 2023, Profeta was called up to the Venezuela full side for a friendly against Colombia, where the squad was composed mainly of under-23 players. ^[16] He made his full international debut five days later, coming on as a second-half substitute for Jesús Bueno in the 1–0 loss at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ^[17]

Style of play

A versatile player, Profeta is capable of playing as a defensive midfielder, central defender, left-back or winger. ^{[14] [18]}

Career statistics

Club

As of 24 December 2023. ^[19]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Deportivo Cali	2023	Categoría Primera A	2	0	0	0	–		0	0	2	0
Career total			2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0

Notes

International

As of matches played 24 December 2023.

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Venezuela	2023	1	0
Total		1	0

References

1. Nicola Profeta at WorldFootball.net
2. Ariza, Diego (17 March 2023). "Él es Nicola Profeta: capitán de la selección Colombia sub-17 que jugaría para Italia" [This is Nicola Profeta: captain of the Colombia under-17 team who would play for Italy]. Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 November 2023.
3. Torres, Eudo (26 July 2023). "Nicola Profeta, capitán de la Sub-17 de Colombia, jugará con Vinotinto" [Nicola Profeta, captain of the Colombian U-17, will play with the Vinotinto]. Radio Fe y Alegría Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 November 2023.
4. "El Profeta del fútbol" [The football prophet]. blog.cambridgecali.edu.co (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 November 2023.
5. "Nadie es 'Profeta' en su tierra…" [Nobody is a prophet in their own land…]. Solovenex (in Spanish). 20 March 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
6. "Nicola Profeta jugó sus primeros minutos en la primera división de Colombia" [Nicola Profeta played his first minutes in the first division of Colombia]. Sports Venezuela (in Spanish). 30 November 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
7. "Santos contrata promessas da Venezuela e da Colômbia para o time sub-20" [Santos sign prospects from Venezuela and Colombia for the under-20 team] (in Brazilian Portuguese). ge. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
8. "Entenda por que o Santos não pode registrar reforços do sub-20 e por isso só pagará salários em julho" [Understand why Santos cannot register additions of the under-20s and that is why they will only pay wages in July] (in Brazilian Portuguese). ge. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
9. "Jogadores da base das seleções colombiana e venezuelana assinam com o Santos e treinam no profissional" [Youth players of the Colombia and Venezuela national team sign with Santos and train in the first team] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Diário do Peixe. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
10. "Nicola Profeta, capitán de Colombia sub 17, jugaría con Venezuela" [Nicola Profeta, captain of Colombia sub 17, would play with Venezuela]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 22 July 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
11. "Colombia perdería una de sus joyas: muy cerca de cambiar de Selección" [Colombia would lose one of its pearls: very close to changing the national team]. FutbolRed (in Spanish). 22 July 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
12. "FVF confirmó que Nicola Profeta se sumará a la convocatoria de la Vinotinto Sub-17" [FVF confirmed that Nicola Profeta will join the Vinotinto U-17 squad]. Con El Mazo Dando (in Spanish). 31 July 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
13. "Nicola Profeta: "Nunca le cierro la puerta a Colombia, ni Venezuela, ni en ningún otro lado"" [Nicola Profeta: "I never close the door to Colombia, nor Venezuela, nor anywhere else"]. Pasión X el Deporte (in Spanish). 9 August 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
14. Puerto, Guillermo (19 September 2023). "Nicola Profeta, el canterano campeón con Venezuela" [Nicola Profeta, the youth graduate champion with Venezuela]. Futbolete (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 November 2023.
15. "Nicola Profeta: "Colombia ya es pasado, eso ya quedó atrás"" [Nicola Profeta: "Colombia is already in the past, that is already behind us"]. La Liga de los Talentos (in Spanish). 24 October 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
16. "Venezuela con la Sub 23 para enfrentar a Colombia" [Venezuela with the under-23s to face Colombia]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 6 December 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
17. "Colombia es superior a Venezuela y lo vence por 1–0" [Colombia is superior than Venezuela and beat them 1–0]. TNT Sports (in Spanish). 10 December 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
18. Puerto, Guillermo (18 October 2023). "Deportivo Cali: ¡Es el momento de Nicola Profeta!" [Deportivo Cali: It's Nicola Profeta's time!]. futbolete.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 November 2023.
19. Nicola Profeta at Soccerway