FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (December 13, 2024) - The New England Revolution signed central defender Brayan Ceballos (pronounced bry-ANN say-BYE-yos) via transfer from Fortaleza Esporte Clube of Brazil’s top-flight Campeonato Serie A. The 23-year-old from Colombia joins New England on a three-year TAM contract through the 2027 Major League Soccer season, with a club option for 2028, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
Ceballos arrives in New England with 110 career appearances over seven professional seasons, most recently with Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv while on a six-month loan from Fortaleza. In 2018, at the age of 16, the center back made his professional debut with Colombian second-division side Universitario Popayán, where he developed at the youth levels. His career has also included stints with Colombian outfits Deportes Quindío and Club Deportivo Popular Junior.
“We are excited to welcome Brayan Ceballos to the Revolution as we continue to bolster our defensive unit for the years ahead,” Revolution Sporting Director Curt Onalfo said. “Brayan has amassed impressive experience and is just beginning to enter the prime of his career. We are confident Brayan’s presence will help us improve our defensive record for the 2025 season and beyond.”
Ceballos transferred from his youth club to Deportes Quindío, where he recorded 38 appearances over a three-year tenure from 2019-2021. In his final season with the club, Ceballos helped Quindío earn promotion to Colombia’s top-tier Categoria Primera A. In the first division, Ceballos netted one goal over 11 appearances.
In January 2022, Ceballos moved to Fortaleza of the Campeonato Serie A and proceeded to play in 47 games for the Brazilian club. He helped the team win back-to-back Campeonato Carense state titles in 2022 and 2023, and a Copa do Nordeste regional championship in 2022.
During his tenure with Fortaleza, Ceballos spent time on loan with Colombia’s Deportivo Junior, contributing to the historic club’s 10th Categoria Primera A title in 2023, and Ukraine’s Dynamo Kyiv in 2024. With the latter, he registered one goal in four appearances during the short-term spell in Ukraine.
“Brayan Ceballos is an ideal profile to succeed in MLS and will help our team be a lot more ruthless defensively," Head Coach Caleb Porter said. “His athleticism, tenacity to win duels, aerial ability and composure in possession make him a great fit to help strengthen our team at the central defender position. At only 23 he still has room to grow, which also excites me. I look forward to working with Brayan when we begin preseason in January.”
On the international stage, Ceballos has earned four appearances with the Colombia Under-23 Men’s National Team. He made his international debut in a friendly against Costa Rica in October 2023, playing all 90 minutes. Most recently, Ceballos suited up for three starts in the 2024 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament in January 2024.
The Revolution will convene in Foxborough in January to kick off preseason training for the 30th season of Major League Soccer. The calendar of 2024-25 **Offseason Roster Building Events** continues with the start of MLS free agency (Dec. 12), the Re-Entry and Waiver processes, and the MLS SuperDraft (Dec. 20).
TRANSACTION: Revolution acquired defender Brayan Ceballos via transfer from Fortaleza Esporte Clube and signed him to a TAM contract through 2027, with a club option for 2028, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
BRAYAN CEBALLOS
Full Name: Brayan Andrés Ceballos Jiménez
Pronunciation: bry-ANN say-BYE-yos
Position: Defender
Height: 6-0
Weight: 160
Age: 23
Date of Birth: May 24, 2001 (Cali, Colombia)
Hometown: Cali, Colombia
Nationality: Colombia
Previous Clubs: Dynamo Kyiv (loan, 2024), Deportivo Popular Junior (loan, 2023-2024), Fortaleza (2022-2024), Deportes Quindio (2019-2021), Universitario Popayan (2018)
