Kristian Balog

Kristiyan Balov joined the Slavia Sofia academy at the age of six and worked his way up through every youth level. He made his senior debut on 27 May 2024, when he came on as a substitute in Slavia's final match of the season against CSKA 1948. It took over a year for his first senior goal to follow, which arrived on 28 July 2025 against Dobrudzha Dobrich. Across his time in Slavia Sofia's first team, the forward made 56 competitive appearances, scoring six goals and adding seven assists, having also come through 44 games and eight goals for the club's second string.

In June 2026, Balov moved to FK Crvena zvezda, where he signed a four-year contract with an option to extend for a further season. The transfer reportedly cost between €2.5 million and €3.0 million, well above Slavia Sofia's initial asking price of around €2.0 million. By September 2026 he had already made four appearances for his new club, scoring once.

Balov has also risen through Bulgaria's youth national teams, representing the country at U17, U18, U19 and U21 level. He made his senior international debut on 27 March 2026 against the Solomon Islands as part of the FIFA Series, and marked the occasion by scoring his first goal for the senior side. Right-footed, he now carries the number 8 shirt for Crvena zvezda as he begins life in Serbian football.