Célio Pompeu Bio
Célio Antônio Pompeu Pinheiro Martins (born 10 December 1999) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for St. Louis City in Major League Soccer. He is known for his skillful dribbling and an aggressive attacking style that has drawn attention since his earliest professional appearances in the United States. Pompeu began his professional career with the MLS Next Pro side St. Louis City 2 in 2022, helping the club lift the regular-season Western Conference Championship that same year.
Standing 178 centimeters tall and representing Brazil at club level, Pompeu transitioned from the U.S. college game to professional football in a short period of time. His combination of close control, acceleration, and willingness to take on defenders established him as one of the league’s most exciting young wide attackers before injury interrupted his momentum in 2024.
Early Life and Background
Célio Antônio Pompeu Pinheiro Martins was born on 10 December 1999 in Fortaleza, Brazil. Growing up in one of the most football-passionate cities in the country, he was exposed to the sport from an early age and developed within the competitive Brazilian youth football culture. His early playing environment shaped his preference for attacking play along the wings and his comfort in one-on-one situations against defenders.
Details about his family background and formal education are limited in publicly available sources. What is clear is that his formative years combined the technical foundations typical of Brazilian youth development with the discipline required to pursue football abroad. That blend of creativity and structure would later define his approach when he moved to the United States.
Path to Soccer
Pompeu’s pathway into the professional game ran through American collegiate soccer. He played for the VCU Rams men’s soccer program from 2019 to 2021, gaining experience in the NCAA system and adjusting to the speed and physical demands of organized football in the United States. His college years provided a competitive platform to showcase his dribbling and attacking instincts.
Following his time at VCU, Pompeu turned professional with St. Louis City 2 in the MLS Next Pro league during the 2022 season. The move marked a quick rise from college football to a professional environment, and he wasted little time making an impact. That debut professional season earned him recognition as the league’s most successful dribbler in 2022.
Célio Pompeu Career
Early Career (2022)
Pompeu’s first professional season came in 2022 with St. Louis City 2, the reserve side linked to the St. Louis City Major League Soccer franchise. Playing in MLS Next Pro, he immediately stood out for his willingness to run at defenders and his ability to create chances in wide areas. His contributions helped the club win the regular-season Western Conference Championship that year.
Statistically, Pompeu finished 2022 as the most successful dribbler in the league, completing 49 successful dribbles across the season. That performance drew the attention of the parent club and signaled that his development was tracking faster than originally projected.
MLS Breakthrough (2022–2023)
On November 18, 2022, Pompeu’s progression was formally rewarded when St. Louis City SC exercised his MLS option for the 2023 season, promoting him to the senior squad. The move confirmed the club’s belief that his performances with the reserve team warranted a chance at Major League Soccer level.
The 2023 season represented his transition into first-team football in MLS, where he continued to operate as a winger. His pace, ball-carrying ability, and direct running gave St. Louis City an additional attacking dimension as the franchise entered its early years in the league.
St. Louis City Era (2024–Present)
On April 26, 2024, Pompeu signed a new contract with St. Louis City through the 2026 season, with an additional option for 2027. The agreement reflected the club’s long-term commitment to a player it considered central to its attacking identity. The timing of the deal, coming during the early months of the MLS season, underlined Pompeu’s growing importance within the squad.
His 2024 campaign, however, was interrupted by a serious injury. During a match against FC Dallas on June 15, 2024, Pompeu suffered an ankle dislocation and a fracture of the fibula. The injury forced him to miss the second half of the season, cutting short a year that had begun with renewed promise after his contract extension.
Driving Style and Strengths
Pompeu is regarded as a direct, attack-minded winger whose strengths lie in dribbling, beating defenders in tight spaces, and carrying the ball forward at pace. His 2022 numbers placed him at the top of MLS Next Pro for successful dribbles, illustrating a playing style built on individual skill and creativity. He is most effective when given license to run at opposing fullbacks and create chances from wide positions.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Pompeu’s early career milestones are his professional debut with St. Louis City 2 in 2022, his recognition as the league’s most successful dribbler that same year, the Western Conference Championship won with the reserve side, his promotion to St. Louis City’s MLS roster in November 2022, and his contract extension through 2026 in April 2024.
Célio Pompeu Career Wins
Within the limited scope of his professional career so far, Pompeu’s most clearly verified team success is the regular-season Western Conference Championship won with St. Louis City 2 in 2022. That title marked the first major honour of his professional career and helped establish him as a player ready for first-team opportunities.
MLS Next Pro Highlights
During the 2022 MLS Next Pro season with St. Louis City 2, Pompeu was a consistent attacking contributor, finishing the year as the league’s most successful dribbler with 49 successful dribbles. His performances were central to the team’s Western Conference Championship run, and they directly influenced his promotion to St. Louis City SC’s MLS roster.
Other Wins & Performances
Outside of his confirmed team achievement in 2022, broader honours, individual awards, or additional championship victories are not clearly documented in available sources, so additional summary figures are not provided here.
Célio Pompeu Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Célio Pompeu’s parents, siblings, and extended family background is limited in available sources, and no verified details can be included here.
Personal Life
Verified public details about Pompeu’s spouse, children, or current residence are not documented in available sources. His known personal identity centers on his Brazilian nationality, his birthplace of Fortaleza, and his professional life in the United States with St. Louis City.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 campaign represents an important rebound opportunity for Célio Pompeu after the ankle dislocation and fibula fracture that ended his 2024 season early. Recovered and under contract with St. Louis City through 2026, he is expected to compete for minutes on the wing and rebuild the form that made him a standout in MLS Next Pro.
St. Louis City’s long-term commitment to Pompeu, demonstrated by his April 2024 extension, suggests the club views him as part of its attacking core going forward. How quickly he returns to full sharpness following his injury will shape his role in the squad and his ability to regain a regular starting place.
For the wider league, Pompeu’s return adds another Brazilian-born dribbler to an MLS environment that increasingly values technical wide attackers. If he can rediscover the form that produced 49 successful dribbles in 2022, the 2025 season could mark his most influential year yet at Major League Soccer level.