{{Short description|Qatari referee (Unknown birthdate)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox football official | name = Taleb Ballan | image = | caption = | full_name = Taleb Ballan Saber | birth_date = | birth_place = Doha, Qatar | death_date = | death_place = | otheroccupation = | years1 = | league1 = Qatari League | role1 = Referee | internationalyears1 = 1976–19?? | years2 = 1976–1981 | league2 = Emir Cup | role2 = Referee | confederation1 = FIFA listed | internationalrole1 = Referee }}
'''Taleb Ballan''' ({{langx|ar|طالب بلان}}), is a former Qatari FIFA football referee, he holds the record with the most Emir Cup finals participated in by a referee.
== Playing career == Ballan played for Al-Esteqlal, and also guided them to the 1973/74 Emir Cup title.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=الشرق |date=2022-01-16 |title= وعكة صحية تلزم طالب بلان السرير الأبيض |url=https://al-sharq.com/article/16/01/2022/%D9%88%D8%B9%D9%83%D8%A9-%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%85-%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B6 |access-date=2025-10-28 |website=al-sharq.com |language=ar}}</ref> Ballan alongside his brother, Khaled Ballan, were both selected for the 1970 Gulf Cup.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}
== Refereeing career == Ballan would go on to officiate matches as a referee after retiring from professional football.<ref name=":0" />
In 1976, Ballan was selected to be one of the match officials alongside fellow referee Mubarak Waleed, for the 1976 Gulf Cup held in Doha, Qatar. In the tournament, he supervised only one match, which was Kuwait against Oman which resulted in a 8–0 win for Kuwait.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gulf Cup 1976 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesg/gulf76.html |access-date=2025-10-28 |website=www.rsssf.org}}</ref>
Ballan would also supervise several matches in the Qatari League during the 1980s, he also holds the record for being the referee who has supervised the most Emir Cup finals.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=ارشيف الدوري والكأس |url=http://www.alkass.net/dev/cup2011-emir-history.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927184407/http://www.alkass.net/dev/cup2011-emir-history.aspx |archive-date=2013-09-27 |access-date=2025-10-28 |website=www.alkass.net}}</ref> With him participating in four Emir Cup finals.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://superkoora.com/2022/News-38096.html|script-title=ar:حصريا - قائمة حكام نهائي كأس الأمير من 1973 وحتى 2013|publisher=superkoora|language=ar|access-date=23 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927085417/http://superkoora.com/2022/News-38096.html|archive-date=27 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Post-retirement == Ballan would go on to serve as the head of the referee committee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=معا حتى 2022 - {{!}} حصريا - قائمة حكام نهائي كأس الأمير من 1973 وحتى 2013 |url=http://superkoora.com/2022/News-38096.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927085417/http://superkoora.com/2022/News-38096.html |archive-date=2013-09-27 |access-date=2025-10-28 |website=superkoora.com}}</ref>
== Personal life == Ballan's brother Khaled Ballan represented the Qatar national team during the early 1970s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=الشرق |date=2021-09-08 |title= خالد بلّان.. من الرعيل الأول للكشّافة القطريّة (27) |url=https://al-sharq.com/opinion/08/09/2021/%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-27 |access-date=2025-10-28 |website=al-sharq.com |language=ar}}</ref> His son Hani Ballan was also became a referee from 1998–2004. He also became the chief executive officer of the highest tier of professional football league in Qatar.
== Honours == === Player === *'''Emir Cup''' ** Champions (1): 1973–74
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://worldreferee.com/referee/taleb_ballan_saber Taleb Ballan] at WorldReferee.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ballan, Taleb}} Category:Qatari football referees Category:Living people Category:20th-century Qatari people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)