Óscar Steven Zambrano Preciado (born 20 April 2004) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for club Hull City.
Early life Born in the Santo Domingo Canton of Ecuador, Zambrano is the youngest of six siblings, with one of his brothers, Jefferson Preciado, also going on to become a footballer.
Club career Zambrano began his footballing career in the same academy as compatriot and current Ecuador international footballer Moisés Caicedo - Colorados Jaipadida. He joined the academy of L.D.U. Quito in 2016, but spent the following season with América de Quito. He returned to L.D.U. Quito and progressed through the academy, before making his professional debut in a 2–0 Ecuadorian Serie A win over Cumbayá on 10 April 2022.
Having already trialled at Dutch side Ajax in 2022, Zambrano was again linked with a move to Europe the following season, with club president Esteban Paz stating that teams were interested, but that they hadn't "received any concrete offer yet". He was later linked with Brazilian side São Paulo and American MLS team Colorado Rapids.
On 16 August 2024, Zambrano joined EFL Championship club Hull City on a season-long loan, with the club having an option to buy in the summer of 2025. He made his debut on 24 August 2024, in the Tigers' 0–0 draw at home to Millwall. On 28 September 2024, he scored a goal in the 4–1 home win against Cardiff City.
Return to Hull City On 21 July 2026, Zambrano returned to Hull City on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-year contract, with the option of an extra year.
International career Zambrano was called up to the Ecuador under-20 side for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he was one of Ecuador's better players in a campaign that saw them knocked out in the round of 16 by South Korea.
Doping ban Following the 2024 Recopa Sudamericana second leg on 29 February 2024, a game which Zambrano and Quito lost, Zambrano tested positive for doping. He was, however, allowed to keep playing competitive football. That was until 5 November 2024, when CONMEBOL suspended Zambrano for 16 months. By this time, he had gone out on loan to Hull and made 8 league appearances for his new team, scoring one goal in the process. Five months later, on 13 March 2025, Zambrano had his appeal heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. On 24 April, it was reported that the ban had been reduced, with the new expiry date set for 3 November 2025.
Career statistics
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cup ContinentalOtherTotal DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals LDU Quito2022Ecuadorian Serie A13120—20—1712023Ecuadorian Serie A24000—70—3102024Ecuadorian Serie A13100—40—171Total50220—130—652Hull City (loan)2024–25Championship8100———81NK Maribor2025–26Slovenian PrvaLiga7200—00—72Hull City2026–27Premier League000000——00Career total655200013000733
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