Fabián Balbuena facts for kids
Balbuena with Dynamo Moscow in 2021
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Fabián Cornelio Balbuena González | ||
| Date of birth | 23 August 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Ciudad del Este, Paraguay | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
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Current team
|
Grêmio | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Cerro Porteño PF | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2012 | Cerro Porteño PF | 76 | (5) |
| 2013 | Rubio Ñu | 17 | (1) |
| 2013–2014 | Nacional | 30 | (1) |
| 2014–2016 | Libertad | 43 | (3) |
| 2016–2018 | Corinthians | 105 | (9) |
| 2018–2021 | West Ham United | 54 | (3) |
| 2021–2025 | Dynamo Moscow | 71 | (7) |
| 2022–2023 | → Corinthians (loan) | 20 | (3) |
| 2025– | Grêmio | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015– | Paraguay | 47 | (2) |
| 2024 | Paraguay Olympic (O.P.) | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 April 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 March 2025 |
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Fabián Cornelio Balbuena González, born on August 23, 1991, is a professional football player from Paraguay. He plays as a centre-back, which is a defender, for the Brazilian club Grêmio. He also plays for the Paraguay national team.
Fabián started his career playing for several clubs in Paraguay. These included Cerro Porteño PF, Rubio Ñu, Nacional, and Libertad. In 2016, he moved to Brazil to play for Corinthians.
While at Corinthians, he played over 100 games. He helped them win the Campeonato Paulista twice and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A once. He was even named one of the best players in the Brazilian league in 2017. After three years with West Ham United in England's Premier League, he joined Dynamo Moscow in Russia.
Balbuena first played for the Paraguay national team in 2015. He has represented his country in four Copa América tournaments. In 2015, his team finished fourth in the competition.
Contents
Club Football Journey
Starting in Paraguay
Fabián Balbuena was born in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. He joined the main team of Cerro Porteño PF in 2010. He quickly became a key player for the team.
In 2011, Balbuena was a regular starter and even became the team captain. He helped his club get promoted from a lower division called División Intermedia.
In 2013, Balbuena played for Rubio Ñu for six months. After that, he moved to Club Nacional, who were the champions at the time. He was a first-choice player there and helped them reach the 2014 Copa Libertadores Finals. However, they lost the final to San Lorenzo.
In August 2014, Libertad bought part of Balbuena's player rights. He signed a four-year contract with them. His team won the 2014 Clausura tournament that year.
Playing for Corinthians
On February 16, 2016, Balbuena moved to Brazil to play for Corinthians. This was his first time playing football outside of Paraguay. He made his first appearance for Corinthians nine days later. He scored his first goal for the club in March during a big 4–0 win.
Balbuena was a very important defender for Corinthians. He helped the team win the 2017 Campeonato Paulista, the 2017 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, and the 2018 Campeonato Paulista. In April 2018, he signed a new four-year contract with the club.
Time at West Ham United
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On July 14, 2018, Balbuena joined Premier League club West Ham United in England. He signed a three-year deal. He played his first game for them on August 12. On October 27, he scored his first goal for West Ham against Leicester City. He was the first player from Paraguay to score in England's top league since 2012.
In October 2020, Balbuena scored West Ham's first goal in an amazing comeback against Tottenham Hotspur. West Ham was losing 3–0 but managed to draw the game 3–3. In April 2021, he was given a red card in a game against Chelsea. However, West Ham appealed the decision, and the red card was removed. In May 2021, West Ham told Balbuena that his contract would not be extended.
Moving to Dynamo Moscow
On July 9, 2021, Fabián Balbuena signed a four-year contract with the Russian club FC Dynamo Moscow.
In July 2022, Balbuena temporarily stopped his contract with Dynamo Moscow for the 2022–23 season. This was allowed by a special rule from FIFA. A few days later, he returned to Corinthians on loan until June 30, 2023.
After his loan ended, Balbuena went back to Dynamo Moscow in July 2023. He was chosen to be the team captain for the next season. Balbuena left Dynamo Moscow on May 31, 2025, when his contract ended.
Joining Grêmio
On July 26, 2025, Balbuena signed a contract with Grêmio in Brazil. His contract with Grêmio is set to last until June 30, 2027.
Playing for His Country
Paraguay National Team
Fabián Balbuena was first called up to the Paraguay national team on March 19, 2015. He made his first full international appearance on March 31, starting in a friendly game against Mexico. He was also part of the team for the 2015 Copa América and the Copa América Centenario tournaments.
At the 2019 Copa América in Brazil, Paraguay played against the host team, Brazil, in the quarter-finals. Balbuena was sent off during that game. The match ended in a draw, and Brazil won on penalties.
On September 23, 2022, Balbuena scored his first goal for Paraguay. It was a late header that won a friendly game against the United Arab Emirates. In November, he was sent off in another friendly game against Peru after a fight with an opponent.
Career Achievements
Club Trophies
Cerro Porteño PF
- División Intermedia: 2011
Libertad
- Primera División: Clausura 2014
Corinthians
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2017
- Campeonato Paulista: 2017, 2018
Paraguay
- Copa America copper medals:2015
Individual Awards
- Bola de Prata: 2017
- Campeonato Brasileiro Team of the Year: 2017
- Best Centre-back in Brazil: 2017
- Campeonato Paulista Team of the Year: 2018
- Russian Premier League Centre-back of the Season: 2021–22
See also
In Spanish: Fabián Balbuena para niños
