| Cristian Ceballos | |
| Full Name: | Cristian Ceballos Prieto[1] |
| Birth Date: | 3 December 1992 |
| Birth Place: | Santander, Spain |
| Height: | 1.75 m |
| Position: | Attacking midfielder, forward |
| Youthyears1: | 2004–2011 |
| Youthclubs1: | Barcelona |
| Youthyears2: | 2011–2013 |
| Youthclubs2: | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Years1: | 2013–2015 |
| Clubs1: | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Caps1: | 0 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2013–2014 |
| Clubs2: | → Arouca (loan) |
| Caps2: | 19 |
| Goals2: | 1 |
| Years3: | 2015–2017 |
| Clubs3: | Charlton Athletic |
| Caps3: | 5 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2016–2017 |
| Clubs4: | → Sint-Truiden (loan) |
| Caps4: | 20 |
| Goals4: | 1 |
| Years5: | 2017–2019 |
| Clubs5: | Sint-Truiden |
| Caps5: | 18 |
| Goals5: | 2 |
| Years6: | 2019–2021 |
| Clubs6: | Al-Wakrah |
| Caps6: | 25 |
| Goals6: | 3 |
| Years7: | 2021 |
| Clubs7: | Qatar |
| Caps7: | 3 |
| Goals7: | 1 |
| Years8: | 2021–2024 |
| Clubs8: | Sabah |
| Caps8: | 29 |
| Goals8: | 5 |
| Club-Update: | 19:47, 8 July 2024 (UTC) |
Cristian Ceballos Prieto (born 3 December 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who most recently played as an attacking midfielder or forward for Azerbaijan Premier League club Sabah.
Ceballos joined Barcelona's La Masia youth facility at the age of 11.[2] In 2007, he became a YouTube sensation after being filmed juggling the ball with Ronaldinho.[3] He progressed through the youth system but was impeded by injuries.[4] In 2004, he took part in the Torneo Nacional Alevín de Fútbol in Brunete for Barcelona's U-12 side where he scored 8 goals and won the trophy for the tournament's best player.[5] Having been released from his contract at Barcelona in 2010, Ceballos trained with Chelsea in March 2011.[4]
Following a trial, Tottenham Hotspur completed the signing of Ceballos on 11 July 2011. He was named on the substitutes bench for a League Cup tie at Stoke City on 20 September.[6] During his first season at the club he was a regular in the Spurs XI reserve team, scoring 10 goals in 13 appearances.[7]
For the 2012–13 season Ceballos was selected in the provisional squad and was given the number 44 shirt.[8] He played for Tottenham's U21 side in the new Barclays U21 Premier League and scored a hat-trick against Southampton in a 4–2 win.[9] He also netted a brace against Liverpool in the Elite Group of the league on 1 April 2013.[10]
On 2 September 2013, Ceballos joined newly promoted Portuguese Primeira Liga side Arouca on loan[11] and was given the number 11 shirt.[12] On 20 September, he made his professional debut;[13] coming on as a 63rd-minute substitute in a 1–0 loss to Braga.[14]
Ahead of the 2014–15 season Ceballos was given the number 39 shirt and was a regular on the substitutes bench, including for the 2–1 victory against Hull City in November.[15] He was released by Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the season.[16]
On 23 July 2015, Ceballos joined Charlton Athletic on a three-year deal.[17]
On 1 August 2016, Ceballos joined Belgian side Sint-Truiden on a season-long loan.[18] On 19 July 2017, he joined them permanently.[19]
On 14 July 2019, Ceballos joined Qatari side Al-Wakrah on a free transfer, after his contract with Sint-Truiden was rescinded.[20]
On 10 March 2021, Ceballos joined Qatar SC.[21]
On 8 August 2021, Ceballos joined Azeri side Sabah, signing a three-year contract.[22]
| Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Arouca (loan) | 2013–14 | Primeira Liga | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 | |
| Charlton | 2015–16 | Championship | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Sint-Truiden (loan) | 2016–17 | Belgian Pro League | 20 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 11 | 4 | 33 | 6 | ||
| Sint-Truiden | 2017–18 | Belgian Pro League | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | 10 | 3 | ||
| 2018–19 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 38 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | 18 | 5 | 60 | 9 | ||||
| Al-Wakrah | 2019–20 | Qatar Stars League | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2020–21 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | |||
| Total | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 3 | |||
| Qatar SC | 2020–21 | Qatar Stars League | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| Sabah | 2021–22 | Azeri Premyer League | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 21 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 29 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 31 | 6 | ||||
| Career total | 119 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 18 | 5 | 150 | 21 | |||