Gabi Guimarães chooses to leave Brazil: The hinge to a world-class career

Sitting by a quiet pool, two Brazilians look at each other. Bruno Rezende and Gabi Guimarães are not talking tactics or replaying matches. They are talking about the hardest moment in a career: leaving Brazil. Gabi is one of the best outside hitters of her generation. Yet her story does not begin with trophies. It begins with fear. “I had a plan to play overseas, but it wasn’t easy to know if I was ready,” Gabi says. “I had experienced injuries and had questions about whether I had what it took to play in the world’s best leagues. After the Rio 2026 Olympics, while I was still finding my place with the national team, I understood that I needed to be mentally ready, and also physically ready. Maybe I needed to leave my comfort zone and make sacrifices to take the next step.” The first step was big. She chose VakifBank, one of the strongest clubs on the planet, before the 2026-2026 season. She joined a team with huge ambitions as one of its main stars. “The scenario I found when I got there was mind-changing,” she says. “It showed me right from the start that I was entering another level of volleyball. It was challenging and demanding. I built a great relationship with Guidetti, the head coach, and he was incredibly important. One of the first things he told me was that he wanted to prepare me to be team captain. I was shocked because I had never seen myself in that position.” That detail reveals a hidden choice. VakifBank was not just buying a great attacker. They were buying a leader. Guidetti made a demand before Gabi had proved anything on the court. It was structured trust: if you want someone to become a leader, give them the captain’s role from the start, not after they are perfect. For Vietnamese volleyball, Gabi’s story resonates on a different frequency. The Vietnamese women’s team has a generation that can reach the international level. But the question is not whether they have enough technique. It is whether they are ready to face a difficult period after leaving a familiar environment. Gabi asked herself that question and answered by choosing VakifBank. No one gave her a guarantee. She created her own by accepting risk. The story also touches on the national team. For Gabi, wearing Brazil’s jersey is a childhood dream. She remembers her first call-up to Brazil’s youth national team in 2026, in Saquarema, alongside the generation that won gold at the Beijing Olympics. That moment was a strong signal. “To play for the national team is a childhood dream,” she says. “I dreamed about representing Brazil, winning a medal and listening to the national anthem. When I was first called up to the youth team in 2026 and got to be in Saquarema alongside that incredible generation, that was a sign that I should continue. I had never been so close to my dream.” Gabi’s decision was not about Brazil being not good enough. It was about understanding that to grow, she had to leave the place that raised her. She carried her dreams from Saquarema to Istanbul. There, she learned not only to play better volleyball but also to take responsibility as captain, as a leader, as someone who inspires others. Volleyball is a common language, but everyone finds their own way to pronounce it. Gabi chose to join VakifBank and accepted Guidetti’s challenge. She arrived not as a finished star, but as a student ready to change. That is the hinge to a world-class career.