Kristiyan Balov
Bulgarian footballer
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Kristiyan Teodorov Balov (Bulgarian: Кристиян Балов; born 26 July 2006) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as a winger and attacking midfielder for Slavia Sofia and the Bulgaria national team.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kristiyan Teodorov Balov | ||
| Date of birth | 26 July 2006 | ||
| Place of birth | Sofia, Bulgaria | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Slavia Sofia | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2024 | Slavia Sofia | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023–2025 | Slavia Sofia II | 44 | (8) |
| 2024– | Slavia Sofia | 40 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022 | Bulgaria U17 | 5 | (2) |
| 2023 | Bulgaria U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2023 | Bulgaria U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2024– | Bulgaria U21 | 7 | (0) |
| 2026– | Bulgaria | 1 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11:40, 16 December 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 12:40, 27 March 2026 (UTC) | |||
Career
Balov joined Slavia Sofia at the age of six and progressed through the club's youth ranks. He made his first-team debut on 27 May 2024, from the substitute's bench, against CSKA 1948 in the final game of 2023–24 season.[citation needed]
Balov scored his first goal in a 2–1 away loss against Dobrudzha Dobrich on 28 July 2025.[2] On 25 August, he scored against Arda Kardzhali in a man-of-the-match performance to guide Slavia to a 2–0 home victory.[3] On 30 August, Balov continued his good form as a regular starter in the beginning of 2025–26 season with two assists for the 2–2 draw against CSKA Sofia.[citation needed]
International career
On 16 March 2026 Balov was called up for the first time for the Bulgaria's men's national team.[4] On 27 March 2026 he debuted for the senior national team in a 10–2 win against the Solomon Islands in the FIFA Series, coming on at half time and scoring his debut goal on 65 minute.[5]
Career statistics
- As of match played 13 December 2025
| Club | Season | League | Bulgarian Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Slavia Sofia | 2023–24 | First League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | First League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 0 | |||
| 2025–26 | First League | 19 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 21 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 40 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 3 | ||
International
- As of match played 27 March 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | |||
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 1 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list Bulgaria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Balov goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 March 2026 | Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia |  Solomon Islands | 8–1 | 10–2 | 2026 FIFA Series |