In Dani Ceballos biography, we explore his journey from a young talent at Real Betis to a versatile midfielder at Real Madrid.
Real Madrid star Dani Ceballos has established himself as one of the best attacking midfielders in World Football. He is known for his creativity, vision, passing, dribbling, and long-range shooting skills.
In this biography, we will learn more about his life story, his career achievements, his personal life, and his future goals. This is Dani Ceballos life story.
Everything to know about Dani Ceballos
Ceballos was born in Utrera, a small town in Andalusia, Spain, that is famous for being the birthplace of the fighting bull.
He suffered from chronic bronchitis as a child, which led to his release from Sevilla’s youth academy. He overcame his condition and joined Real Betis, where he made his professional debut at the age of 17.
Now, without further ado, let’s dive into the Dani Ceballos biography.
Dani Ceballos information
In this part of Dani Ceballos biography, we will have a glance at the player’s general information.
Born on August 7, 1996, Dani Ceballos real name is Daniel Ceballos Fernández.
- Full Name: Daniel Ceballos Fernández
- Nickname: Dani Nike
- Profession: Professional Football Player
Physical Stats
- Weight: 70 Kilograms
- Height: 1.79 m
- Eye Color: Brown
- Hair Color: Dark Brown
Date of Birth and Personal Info
- Date of Birth: August 7, 1996
- Birth Place: Utrera, Spain
- Nationality: Spanish
Football Information
- Position: Midfielder
- Jersey Number: 19
- Professional Debut: 2013
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Dani Ceballos early life
In this part of Dani Ceballos biography, we take a look at the player’s early life.
Ceballos was born on 7 August 1996 in Utrera, a small town in Andalusia, Spain, that is famous for being the birthplace of the fighting bull. He was the first child and son of two children to his parents, Salomé Fernández and Antonio Ceballos. He also has a younger sister named Salome Ceballos. Dani Ceballos grew up in a football-loving family and environment, and he idolized the late Jose Antonio Reyes, who was also from Utrera and played for Arsenal and Sevilla.
Dani Ceballos joined Sevilla’s youth system in 2004 at the age of eight but was released in 2009 due to a chronic bronchitis problem that affected his health and performance. He did not give up on his dream of becoming a footballer, and he continued to play for his hometown club Utrera, where he impressed with his skills and determination. In 2011, he signed for Real Betis, another club from Andalusia, where he completed his development and made his professional debut at the age of 17.
Dani Ceballos profile
In this part of Dani Ceballos biography, we will have a glance at the player’s profile.
Dani Ceballos is a Spanish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Real Madrid and Spain. He is known for his creativity, vision, passing, dribbling, and long-range shooting. He started his career at Real Betis, where he won the Segunda División in 2015. The Spaniard joined Real Madrid in 2017 and has won two Champions League titles and one La Liga title. He also spent two seasons on loan at Arsenal, where he won the FA Cup in 2020.
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Dani Ceballos football career
In this part of Dani Ceballos biography, we dive deep into the professional life of the Spanish international.
Real Betis
Ceballos joined Real Betis in 2011, after being released by Sevilla due to a chronic bronchitis problem. He made his debut for the B team in the fourth division in 2013 and scored his first goal in a 2–1 win over San Roque de Lepe. The 27-year-old was promoted to the first team in the second division in 2014 and became a regular starter under manager Pepe Mel. He helped Real Betis win the Segunda División title in 2015, and return to La Liga after two years of absence. He scored five goals and provided five assists in 33 league games that season.
Dani Ceballos continued to impress in La Liga, where he established himself as one of the best young midfielders in Spain. He played 79 league games for Real Betis in the top flight, scoring seven goals and creating eight assists. Ceballos also played 24 games in the Copa del Rey, scoring one goal and providing six assists. He was named the best player of the tournament in the 2016–17 edition, where Real Betis reached the quarter-finals. He also won the La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year award in 2017.
Dani Ceballos attracted the attention of several big clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus. He decided to join Real Madrid in July 2017, for a transfer fee of around €18 million. He signed a six-year contract with the Spanish giants, and left Real Betis with a total of 12 goals and 17 assists in 120 games across all competitions.
Real Madrid
Ceballos made his debut for Real Madrid on August 16, 2017, in the second leg of the Supercopa de España against Barcelona, where he came on as a substitute and received a red card for two bookings in four minutes. He scored his first goal for the club on September 20, 2017, in a 1–0 away win over Alavés, where he also scored the winner. He played 23 games in all competitions in his first season, scoring three goals and providing two assists. Ceballos won the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup with Real Madrid that season.
Dani Ceballos played more regularly in his second season at Real Madrid, making 34 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and creating five assists. He also won the FIFA Club World Cup for the second time with the club. However, he struggled to establish himself as a starter under managers Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari and often came in as a substitute or rotated with other midfielders. He also had a difficult relationship with Solari, who reportedly did not trust him and preferred other players.
Arsenal Loan
Continuing toward Dani Ceballos biography, he joined Arsenal on loan for the 2019–20 season, in order to get more playing time and develop his skills. He made his debut for the Gunners on August 11, 2019, in a 1–0 away win over Newcastle United, where he came on as a substitute and impressed with his passing and dribbling. Ceballos scored his first goal for Arsenal on October 24, 2019, in a 3–2 home win over Vitória de Guimarães in the UEFA Europa League, where he scored a late free-kick to secure the victory. He played 37 games in all competitions for Arsenal that season, scoring two goals and providing two assists. He also won the FA Cup with Arsenal, playing an important role in the final against Chelsea.
Dani Ceballos extended his loan at Arsenal for another season, after enjoying his first year in England. He played 40 games in all competitions for Arsenal in the 2020–21 season, scoring one goal and creating three assists. The central midfielder also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League with Arsenal, where Villarreal eliminated them. He returned to Real Madrid at the end of the season, having played a total of 77 games for Arsenal, scoring three goals and providing five assists.
Return to Madrid
Ceballos endured a long spell on the sidelines after injuring his left ankle in Spain’s Olympic opener against Egypt in 2020. He made his comeback in January 2022, coming off the bench to help Madrid beat Alcoyano 3–1 in the Copa del Rey. He also played a part in Madrid’s Champions League triumph, replacing Luka Modrić in the final against Liverpool that ended 1–0.
Ceballos showed his quality and flair in the 2022–23 Copa del Rey round of 16, setting up a goal and scoring the winner in a thrilling 3–2 comeback victory over Villarreal. He was rewarded with a contract extension until 2027, securing his future with Los Blancos.
International career
Here, we will take a look at Dani Ceballos stats at the international level.
Ceballos started his international career with the Spain under-19 team, where he faced Germany, France, and Greece in a tournament hosted by the latter. He soon graduated to the under-21 team, making his debut in a friendly win over Norway and his first start in a rout of Belarus.
Ceballos was a key player for the under-21 team, helping them reach the final of the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and winning the 2019 edition. He was named the best player of the 2017 tournament and also made the team of the tournament in 2019.
Ceballos earned his first senior cap in a 6–0 thrashing of Croatia in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League, where he also scored his first goal in a 3–2 defeat in the reverse fixture. He missed out on Euro 2020 due to injury but was selected as one of three overaged players for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
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Dani Ceballos’ playing style
In this part of Dani Ceballos biography, we tend to the talented midfielder’s style of play.
Ceballos began his football journey as an attacking midfielder, but he has shown his adaptability and versatility by playing in different positions in the midfield. He can take on various roles and responsibilities, such as a box-to-box midfielder who covers a lot of ground and contributes to both attack and defense, a deep-lying playmaker who orchestrates the game from a deeper position and dictates the tempo and rhythm, or a wide playmaker who exploits the spaces on the flanks and delivers quality crosses into the box.
The Spaniard prefers to drop deep, involving himself in the play and initiating the transition from defense to attack. He also tends to drift wide, creating numerical advantages and overloading the opposition. He also can make penetrating runs into the box and unleash powerful shots from a long distance.
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Dani Ceballos honors and achievements
In this part of Dani Ceballos biography, we will have a glance at the player’s achievements.
At the club level, he has played for Real Madrid, Real Betis, and Arsenal. He has won several trophies with Real Madrid, including two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey titles, two Supercopa de España titles, two UEFA Champions League titles, two UEFA Super Cup titles, and four FIFA Club World Cup titles. He also helped Arsenal win the FA Cup in 2020.
At the international level, he has represented Spain at various age groups. The 27-year-old won the European Under-19 Championship in 2015 and the European Under-21 Championship in 2019. He was also part of the Spain team that finished second at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He has made 13 appearances and scored one goal for the senior team.
At the personal level, he has received several individual awards and recognitions. He was named the player of the tournament at the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and also made the team of the tournament in 2019. He was also included in the La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year shortlist in 2017 and the UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season in 2020.
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Dani Ceballos personal life
In this part of Dani Ceballos biography, we take a look at the 27-year-old’s personal life.
Dani Ceballos’ girlfriend, Maria Sanchez, has been by his side since 2017. The exact circumstances of how they met are unclear, but it seems that they fell in love at first sight. They soon became a couple and have been inseparable ever since. They have not yet started a family of their own. Sanchez was born on March 15, 1995, in Spain, and she is of Spanish nationality. She is active on social media, but she does not reveal much about her personal life to the public.
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