FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – It didn’t take long for Brayan Ceballos to make his mark in Major League Soccer. The 23-year-old center back arrived in New England with a hunger to prove himself – and wasted no time doing so. From the first minute of the first match of the season, Ceballos has helped build the Revolution’s defensive foundation, earning a spot on the MLS Team of the Matchday following his debut on February 22 in Nashville.
“I’ve been able to show my potential as a player,” said Ceballos. “I’m very proud of all the work I’ve done and the work I continue to do now.”
Ceballos’ journey to Foxborough has been unique, from Colombia to Brazil to Europe, each stop shaping him into the player he is today. He joined New England after a six-month stint with Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine, where he played on loan from Brazil’s Fortaleza Esporte Club, and experienced difficult conditions amid the ongoing war. Now, in a league that’s rapidly evolving, Ceballos is embracing a new challenge – one that he sees as a pivotal step in his career.
“In Ukraine, it was difficult at first because I had to adapt to a city and a country that aren’t in the best conditions, but I did learn a lot,” he explained. “I didn’t have to think too much about coming here to New England and the United States, given the circumstances we were under with the war. I didn’t have to think too much about coming here. Who wouldn’t want to come live in the United States and play a different style of soccer? I can live peacefully here with my family. That’s what attracted me and why I made the decision.”
Prior to his experience in Ukraine, Ceballos logged more than 3,500 minutes in Brazil’s top flight with Fortaleza. With the club from 2022 to 2024, he also spent a stint on loan in his native Colombia with Club Deportivo Popular Junior F.C. Growing up in Colombia, Ceballos trained with Universitario Popayán as a youth player, before signing his first professional contract with the club at 16 years old. He has also been capped four times by the Colombian Under-23 National Team.
Now in MLS, Ceballos says this is a league of opportunity. “It’s a league that’s growing and evolving a lot,” he said. “Thanks to God, the opportunity came for me to be here. I arrived with a lot of excitement to be here and play in this league. It’s a league that’s evolved a lot and a league where I can regain my rhythm in my career and reach my highest level.”
As a Spanish speaker, Ceballos instantly connected with the Revolution’s other Latino players. “We’re all united together as the Latino players,” he explained. “We enjoy everything. We’re always laughing, having great conversations, and having fun. They’ve all done nothing but make me feel super comfortable.”
For midfielder Matt Polster, there is only one word that comes to mind when describing the center back. “The best word for me would be killer,” he said. “Sometimes his tackles scare you, but in a good way – you’d rather have him on your team than the other team.”
Off the pitch, Polster said Ceballos is just as remarkable, albeit less threatening. “When he smiles, he just lightens your day up a little bit. It’s nice.”
According to Ceballos, it’s not just his teammates who have helped him feel welcome at the Revolution, but also the city of Boston. “The only thing I don’t like is the cold,” he said with a chuckle. “But it’s starting to warm up a little bit … slowly. It’s a big city and a nice city, and so far I feel really comfortable here.”
While the start of the season hasn’t unfolded exactly as hoped, Ceballos pays little attention to the past. Rather than stewing on previous games, he learns from mistakes and remains focused on the present. “I always say the good thing about soccer is the next game gives you the opportunity to do what you couldn’t do and give what you couldn’t give in the previous game,” he said. “I always take the pitch thinking about winning and improving.”
Ceballos continues to have high hopes for this Revolution squad, saying that more wins are coming soon. “We all want to make the playoffs and get the chance to enjoy really great moments in the postseason. Those are the goals we are thinking about together.”
Beyond team success, Ceballos is determined to carve out his own legacy in New England. “I want to create a story for myself at this club,” he said, and with each match, each tackle, each moment on the pitch, that story is already taking shape – and it’s only just begun.
