Ellie Carpenter facts for kids
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Carpenter with the Matildas at the 2017 Algarve Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ellie Madison Carpenter | ||
| Date of birth | 28 April 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | Cowra, New South Wales, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Chelsea | ||
| Number | 12 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2017 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 23 | (0) |
| 2017–2019 | Canberra United | 21 | (5) |
| 2018–2020 | Portland Thorns | 35 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | → Melbourne City (loan) | 14 | (2) |
| 2020–2025 | Lyon | 126 | (3) |
| 2025– | Chelsea | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2014 | Australia U17 | 2 | (0) |
| 2014–2017 | Australia U20 | 14 | (0) |
| 2016– | Australia | 89 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 July 2025 |
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Ellie Madison Carpenter (born 28 April 2000) is an Australian professional soccer player. She plays as a right-back for Women's Super League club Chelsea. Ellie also plays for the Australia national team, known as the Matildas.
Ellie is known as one of the best female defenders in the world. She is great at controlling the ball, sending crosses, and defending. She made her debut for the Matildas at just 15 years old. This made her the first Australian international soccer player born in the 2000s.
She was also the youngest Australian to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. She is the youngest female footballer ever to play at the Olympics. Ellie won the W-League Young Footballer of the Year award three times in a row from 2018 to 2020.
Ellie is the first Australian woman to win the UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL). She won it in 2020 and 2022 with her former club, Lyon.
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Ellie Carpenter's Early Life
Ellie Madison Carpenter was born on 28 April 2000. She grew up on a farm in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia. Her parents were both physical education teachers.
As a child, Ellie traveled long distances to play soccer. She played in Young, Canberra, and Sydney. When she was 12, her family moved to Sydney. This allowed her to attend Westfields Sports High School. She also went to Cowra and Mulyan Public Schools. At 17, she left school to focus fully on her soccer career.
Ellie's Club Soccer Journey
Ellie Carpenter has played for several top clubs around the world.
Playing for Western Sydney Wanderers
Ellie joined Western Sydney Wanderers in September 2015. She was a starting defender in all 12 games during the 2015–16 W-League season. Even at 15, she was a strong right-back. She often helped with attacking plays and sent crosses to her teammates. Her great performance led to her being called up to train with the Matildas.
Time with Canberra United
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In August 2017, Ellie signed with Canberra United. She played in the 2017–18 W-League season. She started in 10 of 11 games and scored 2 goals. Her first goal was in a 6–1 win against Adelaide United. After this season, she won the league's Young Footballer of the Year award.
During the 2018–19 season, Ellie scored another goal in a 2–0 win against Melbourne City. She was named Young Footballer of the Year for the second time in a row. In September 2019, Ellie decided to leave Canberra United for a new challenge.
Playing for Portland Thorns
Ellie became the youngest player in NWSL history. She made her debut for the Portland Thorns FC on 9 May 2018. Just ten days later, she became the youngest scorer in league history. She scored the winning goal against the Washington Spirit. She was a starting defender in 16 of 19 games during the 2018 season. Portland reached the NWSL Final but lost to the North Carolina Courage.
Ellie continued to be a key defender for Portland in the 2019 NWSL season. Portland made it to the Playoffs but was defeated in the semi-finals.
Loan to Melbourne City FC
In October 2019, Ellie joined Melbourne City on a one-season loan. She started all 14 matches and scored two goals. She helped Melbourne City win the Grand Final by shutting out Sydney FC 1–0. Ellie won the Young Footballer of the Year award for the third time in a row in July 2020.
Moving to Lyon
In June 2020, Ellie transferred to Lyon, a top French club. She signed a contract until 2023. She made her first appearance for Lyon on 14 August 2020. She scored her first goal for Lyon in a 2–1 win against Bordeaux.
Ellie won her second UEFA Women's Champions League in 2022. Her team beat Barcelona 3–1. She had to leave the game early due to an injury. On 28 June 2022, Lyon extended her contract until 30 June 2026.
Joining Chelsea
On 2 July 2025, Chelsea announced that Ellie Carpenter had joined their team. She signed a four-year deal after leaving Lyon.
Ellie's International Career
Ellie Carpenter has played for Australia's national teams at different levels. She has represented the senior national team, known as the Matildas. She also played for the under-17 and under-20 national teams.
At 14, Ellie was first called up to the under-17 team in September 2014. She played her first game for the under-17 team in a win against Vietnam.
At 15, Ellie earned her first cap for the senior national team. This was in a 9–0 win against Vietnam on 2 March 2016. This made her the first Australian international player (male or female) born after the year 2000.
In July 2016, Ellie was chosen for the Matildas squad for the 2016 Rio Olympics. At 16, she was the youngest Australian at the Rio Olympics. She was also the youngest female footballer ever to compete at the Olympics. The Matildas reached the quarter-finals but lost to Brazil in a penalty shootout.
In 2017, Ellie played with the Matildas at the Tournament of Nations in the United States. Australia won the tournament after a big 6–1 win over Brazil. Ellie showed her toughness in a match against the United States. She returned to the field after being hit in the face by the ball. She helped the Matildas get a 1–1 draw against the 2015 FIFA World Cup champions.
In February 2019, Ellie was part of the Matildas squad for the first FFA Cup of Nations. She helped the Matildas win the Cup.
At 19, Ellie made her World Cup debut at the 2019 FIFA World Cup in France. The team made a great comeback in their second game, winning 3–2 against Brazil. They were the second team in World Cup history to win after being two goals down. The Matildas reached the Round of 16 but lost to Norway in penalty kicks.
Ellie was also part of the Matildas team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The Matildas reached the semi-finals but were defeated by Sweden. They then lost to the USA in the bronze medal playoff.
On 3 July 2023, Ellie was selected for the Matildas squad for the 2023 FIFA World Cup. On 4 June 2024, she was named in the Matildas team for the Paris 2024 Olympics. This was her third time being selected for the Olympics. She continues to play in her strong right-back position.
Ellie Carpenter's Personal Life
Ellie Carpenter is married to Dutch footballer Daniëlle van de Donk. Daniëlle was also her teammate at Lyon. Since living in France from 2020, Ellie has become fluent in French.
Ellie Carpenter's Achievements
Ellie has won many awards and championships throughout her career.
Melbourne City
- W-League Premiership: 2019–20
- W-League Championship: 2020
Olympique Lyonnais
- Division 1 Féminine: 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
- Coupe de France: 2019–20, 2022–23
- Trophée des Championnes: 2022, 2023
- UEFA Women's Champions League: 2019–20, 2021–22
Australia
- Tournament of Nations: 2017
- FFA Cup of Nations: 2019
Individual Awards
- AFC Women's International Player of the Year: 2023
- IFFHS AFC Woman Team of the Decade 2011–2020
- W-League Young Footballer of the Year: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
- PFA Women's Footballer of the Year
Images for kids
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Carpenter with Canberra United, 2017
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Carpenter playing for Portland Thorns, June 2018
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Carpenter (left) with Australia in 2018
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See also
In Spanish: Ellie Carpenter para niños
