After playing over 110 matches in all competitions for his hometown club Gaz Metan Mediaș, Cristea moved to fellow Liga I team FCSB on 26 February 2019.

[2] On 13 June 2023, after being released by FCSB, Cristea moved to cross-town rivals Rapid București on a two-year deal.

[3] He terminated his agreement with Rapid București on 31 May 2024,[4] and on 5 June Universitatea Cluj announced the signing of Cristea as a free agent.

[5] On 10 June 2019, Cristea made his debut for the Romania national team in a 4–0 win against Malta counting for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers.

[6] Cristea has been described as versatile, due to his ability to play equally well as either a centre-back or a defensive midfielder, and has been noted for his aerial prowess.