Anthony Michel Khayat (; born 13 February 2007) is an Emirati footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder Spanish for Celta Fortuna. Born in Lebanon, he represents the United Arab Emirates at youth international level.
Early life Khayat was born in Beirut, Lebanon on 13 February 2007. He joined the youth setup of Fursan Hispania in Dubai in 2016, where he was coached by former Celta Vigo player Pablo Coira. He participated in tournaments with Celta from the age of ten and subsequently spent periods training in Vigo.
In April 2025, La Voz de Galicia described Khayat as the most prominent recent player developed by Fursan Hispania and reported that he had been selected as one of the young talents of the Arab competition. The newspaper also reported that Celta intended to sign him for its youth academy after he reached the age of 18, following an earlier period in which he had returned to Dubai because of FIFA regulations governing the international transfer of minors.
Club career Celta Vigo On 17 July 2025, Celta Vigo announced the signing of Khayat from Fursan Hispania on a three-year contract running until 2028. Although registered with the club's Juvenil A side, he joined the training group of Celta Fortuna, Celta's reserve team competing in the Primera Federación.
Khayat made his debut for Celta Fortuna on 25 October 2025 against Racing de Ferrol, coming on as a substitute and providing the assist for Álvaro Marín's winning goal in a 2–1 victory. He became the third Celta youth player to make his Primera Federación debut during the 2025–26 season. Less than 24 hours later, he started for Celta Juvenil A and scored a late equaliser in a División de Honor match. During the 2025–26 season, Khayat made 14 appearances for Celta Fortuna in Primera Federación, playing 718 minutes. He also made 19 league appearances for the Juvenil A side, scoring four goals.
In May 2026, Khayat suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his left knee during Celta's Copa de Campeones Juvenil quarter-final against UD Las Palmas. He underwent surgery later that month, with Celta estimating a recovery period of around eight months. The injury ruled him out for the beginning of Celta Fortuna's 2026–27 campaign following the club's promotion to Segunda División.
International career Khayat has represented the United Arab Emirates at under-20 and under-23 level.
He was included in the United Arab Emirates under-20 squad for the 2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers in September 2024. On 21 September, he scored the second goal in the UAE's 3–2 victory over Lebanon U20 in the opening match of the qualification tournament. In March 2025, Khayat was selected for the UAE under-23 squad for the 2025 WAFF U-23 Championship in Oman. He made two appearances during the tournament.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueCopa del ReyOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsCelta Fortuna2025–26Primera Federación140—001402026–27Segunda División00——00Total1400000140Career total1400000140
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