| Intro | Footballer |
| Is |
Athlete Football player Association football player |
| From | Brazil |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 20 July 1987, Paracatu, Minas Gerais |
| Age: | 33 years |
Célio Ferreira Santos, better known as Célio Santos, or simply Célio (Paracatu, July 20, 1987) is a footballer Brazilian-born and Timorese-nation who plays as a defender. He currently plays for South Korean club Ulsan Hyundai.
Eligibility controversy
An inquiry held by the Prime Minister of East Timor in 2016 heard that Celio Santos was one of seven Brazilian footballers to receive falsified baptism documents from Timor’s Catholic Church, in order to make it appear he was eligible for Timorese nationality.
All seven players were based in Asia at the time, but only one, Juninho, has played for Timor’s controversial national side.
It is unclear when Célio Santos received his Timorese passport, which he received despite having no known means of eligibility, such as a family connection, or residency.