Julio Ceja began his career in the youth academies of Cruz Azul, where he stood out as a promising player. He was selected for the national team to be part the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship, to be played in Finland. He also initiated the process for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship that would be played in the Netherlands, but this time were eliminated in the 2005 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament.