Christian Cueva facts for kids
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Cueva training with Peru at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christian Alberto Cueva Bravo | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 23 November 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Trujillo, Peru | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Emelec | ||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Racing de Huamachuco | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Universidad de San Martín | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2012 | Universidad de San Martín | 121 | (19) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | UCV | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Unión Española B | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Unión Española | 16 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | → Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | → Rayo Vallecano B (loan) | 8 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Alianza Lima | 19 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Toluca | 36 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | São Paulo | 55 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Krasnodar | 15 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | → Santos (loan) | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Pachuca | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Malatyaspor | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Al-Fateh | 48 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | → Alianza Lima (loan) | 22 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Cienciano | 18 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Emelec | 3 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Peru U20 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011– | Peru | 100 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:05, 28 March 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:48, 29 June 2024 (UTC) |
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Christian Alberto Cueva Bravo (born on November 23, 1991) is a professional footballer from Peru. He plays as an attacking midfielder for the Ecuadorian Serie A club Emelec. He also plays for the Peru national team.
Cueva has been a key player for the Peru national team. He helped them finish third in the 2015 Copa América and reach the finals in the 2019 Copa América. He also played in big tournaments like the Copa América Centenario, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the 2021 Copa América, and the 2024 Copa América.
Contents
Christian Cueva's Club Journey
Starting His Football Career
Christian Cueva was born in Trujillo. He began playing football at a young age. When he was 14, he played for a local amateur team. In 2007, he played in a friendly match against Universidad San Martín. He played so well that he was invited to join their under-20 team.
Playing for Universidad San Martín
Cueva made his first professional appearance for Universidad San Martín on April 12, 2008. He was only 16 years old. In his first season, he scored two goals in 18 games. His team also won the championship that year.
He became a regular player for the team starting in 2010. During his time at the club, he scored 20 goals in 121 league games. He helped Universidad San Martín win the league championship in 2008 and 2010.
Moving to Other Clubs
In August 2012, Cueva joined another top-division team, César Vallejo. Later, in January 2013, he moved to the Chilean team Unión Española. He helped Unión Española win the Chilean First Division in 2013.
Loan to Rayo Vallecano
In August 2013, Cueva went on a one-year loan to La Liga club Rayo Vallecano in Spain. He didn't play much for the main team. So, in March 2014, he was moved to their reserve team, Rayo Vallecano B. In his first game for the reserve team, he scored three goals!
Returning to Peru with Alianza Lima
In August 2014, Cueva came back to Peru and signed with Alianza Lima. He quickly became a regular player for them.
Playing in Mexico and Brazil
In July 2015, Cueva signed with the Mexican club Toluca. He made his first game for them later that month.
In June 2016, Cueva signed a four-year contract with the Brazilian team São Paulo FC. He extended his contract in February 2017.
Playing in Russia and Back to Brazil
In July 2018, Cueva signed a four-year contract with the Russian club FC Krasnodar.
In February 2019, Cueva returned to Brazil on a loan deal with Santos FC. He was supposed to join them permanently later.
More Club Moves
After his time at Santos, Cueva moved to Pachuca in Mexico in February 2020. Later that year, in August 2020, he moved to the Turkish club Yeni Malatyaspor.
In January 2021, Cueva joined the Saudi Arabian club Al-Fateh. He made his debut for them in February 2021. In March 2023, he returned to Alianza Lima in Peru on a loan. In September 2024, he signed with Cienciano. As of July 2025, he plays for Emelec.
Christian Cueva's International Career
Cueva played for the Peru under-20 team in 2011. He made his first game for the main Peru national team on June 1, 2011, in a match against Japan.
Copa América Success
Cueva was part of Peru's team for the 2015 Copa América. He scored the team's first goal in the tournament. He was a key player and helped his team finish in third place. He was even named one of the best midfielders in the competition.
He also played in the Copa América Centenario. He scored a goal against Ecuador in June 2016. However, in the quarter-finals against Colombia, he missed a penalty kick, and Peru was eliminated.
World Cup Qualification
Cueva was a first-choice player during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He helped Peru qualify for the final tournament after 36 years! In June 2018, he was officially named in Peru's squad for the World Cup in Russia.
Recent Copa América Appearances
In May 2019, he was chosen for the Peruvian squad for the 2019 Copa América. He played in the final, where Peru lost to Brazil. In June 2021, he was called up for the 2021 Copa América, where Peru reached the semi-finals.
In June 2024, he was included in the squad for the 2024 Copa América. On June 29, 2024, he played his 100th international game for Peru in a match against Argentina.
How Christian Cueva Plays
When Cueva plays for the Peru national team, he usually plays as an attacking midfielder in the center of the field. For his club teams, like Toluca, he often plays on the side, usually on the left wing.
He is known for being a good dribbler. He can change direction quickly over short distances and is good at playing in small spaces. People have compared his playing style to Brazilian player Paulo Henrique Ganso. Cueva moves a lot around the field, making attacking runs into the opponent's area, scoring goals, and sometimes helping out with defense too. In a big win against Corinthians in November 2016, Cueva scored a goal and helped set up three other goals for his teammates.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
Here are Christian Cueva's statistics for the clubs he has played for:
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Universidad San Martín | 2008 | Torneo Descentralizado | 18 | 2 | — | — | — | 18 | 2 | |||
| 2009 | 16 | 3 | — | — | — | 16 | 3 | |||||
| 2010 | 37 | 5 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 40 | 5 | ||||
| 2011 | 26 | 4 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 31 | 4 | ||||
| 2012 | 24 | 5 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 25 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 121 | 19 | — | 9 | 0 | — | 130 | 19 | ||||
| Universidad César Vallejo | 2012 | Torneo Descentralizado | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Unión Española B | 2013 | Segunda División Profesional | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Unión Española | 2013 | Primera División | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 0 | ||
| Rayo Vallecano | 2013–14 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Rayo Vallecano B | 2013–14 | Tercera División | 8 | 5 | — | — | — | 8 | 5 | |||
| Alianza Lima | 2014 | Torneo Descentralizado | 15 | 3 | — | — | — | 15 | 3 | |||
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | 16 | 7 | |||
| Total | 19 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | 31 | 10 | |||
| Toluca | 2015–16 | Liga MX | 36 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 0 | — | 49 | 6 | |
| São Paulo | 2016 | Série A | 24 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 7 | ||
| 2017 | 28 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 43 | 10 | ||
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 18 | 3 | ||
| Total | 55 | 10 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 7 | 87 | 20 | ||
| Krasnodar | 2018–19 | Russian Premier League | 15 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 23 | 1 | |
| Santos (loan) | 2019 | Série A | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| Pachuca | 2019–20 | Liga MX | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Yeni Malatyaspor | 2020–21 | Süper Lig | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Al Fateh | 2020–21 | Saudi Pro League | 15 | 8 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 8 | ||
| 2021–22 | 24 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 8 | ||
| 2022–23 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Total | 48 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 16 | ||
| Alianza Lima (loan) | 2023 | Liga 1 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Career total | 363 | 57 | 39 | 13 | 31 | 0 | 26 | 7 | 459 | 77 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
Here are Christian Cueva's statistics for the Peru national team:
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peru | 2011 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 13 | 5 | |
| 2017 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 14 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 17 | 5 | |
| 2022 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 16 | |
- Scores and results list Peru's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Cueva goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 June 2015 | Estadio Municipal Germán Becker, Temuco, Chile | 9 |  Brazil |
1–0 | 1–2 | 2015 Copa América |
| 2 | 23 May 2016 | Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru | 22 |  Trinidad and Tobago |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 8 June 2016 | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, United States | 24 |  Ecuador |
1–0 | 2–2 | Copa América Centenario |
| 4 | 6 September 2016 | Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru | 28 | Ecuador |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 6 October 2016 | Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru | 29 |  Argentina |
2–2 | 2–2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 10 November 2016 | Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay | 31 |  Paraguay |
3–1 | 4–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 31 August 2017 | Estadio Monumental, Lima, Peru | 37 |  Bolivia |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 29 May 2018 | Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru | 44 |  Scotland |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 22 March 2019 | Red Bull Area, Harrison, United States | 53 | Paraguay |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 10 | 5 June 2019 | Estadio Monumental, Lima, Peru | 55 |  Costa Rica |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 11 | 8 June 2021 | Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, Quito, Ecuador | 72 | Ecuador |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12 | 5 September 2021 | Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru | 81 |  Venezuela |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 13 | 7 October 2021 | Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru | 83 |  Chile |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 14 | 11 November 2021 | Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru | 86 | Bolivia |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 16 November 2021 | Estadio Olímpico de la UCV, Caracas, Venezuela | 87 | Venezuela |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16 | 27 September 2022 | Audi Field, Washington, D.C., United States | 94 |  El Salvador |
4–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
Awards and Achievements
Christian Cueva has won several awards and championships throughout his career:
With Universidad San Martín
- Torneo Descentralizado: 2008, 2010
With Unión Española
Individual Awards
- Copa América Team of the Tournament: 2015
- Campeonato Paulista Team of the year: 2017
See also
In Spanish: Christian Cueva para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
