Wilder Cartagena facts for kids
Cartagena with Orlando City in 2024
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Wilder José Cartagena Mendoza | ||
| Date of birth | 23 September 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | El Carmen, Ica, Peru | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Orlando City | ||
| Number | 16 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012 | Alianza Lima | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2014 | Alianza Lima | 24 | (1) |
| 2014–2015 | Vitória de Setúbal | 0 | (0) |
| 2015–2018 | Universidad San Martín | 100 | (3) |
| 2018–2019 | Veracruz | 25 | (0) |
| 2019 | Alianza Lima | 30 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Godoy Cruz | 17 | (3) |
| 2021–2023 | Kalba FC | 22 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | → Orlando City (loan) | 35 | (2) |
| 2022 | → Orlando City B (loan) | 1 | (1) |
| 2024– | Orlando City | 27 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2011 | Peru U17 | 4 | (0) |
| 2013 | Peru U20 | 8 | (0) |
| 2018– | Peru | 40 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 November 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 November 2024 |
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Wilder José Cartagena Mendoza (born on September 23, 1994) is a professional football player from Peru. He plays as a defensive midfielder for the Major League Soccer club Orlando City and is also a member of the Peru national team.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Football
Wilder Cartagena grew up playing football on the streets. His school was damaged by an earthquake, so he moved to Lima to study. In Lima, he met friends who played youth football. This led him to try out for Alianza Lima, a well-known club, and he was accepted.
Wilder first started as a goalkeeper for Alianza Lima. However, after a school game where he played in midfield, the club decided to move him to that position. This change helped him become the midfielder he is today.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Alianza Lima
Wilder Cartagena joined the main team of Alianza Lima in January 2012. He made his first league appearance in a 2–2 draw against León de Huánuco. He played more often in the 2013 season. On November 30, he scored his first goal for the club, helping them draw 1–1 against UCV.
Time in Portugal and Return to Peru
In January 2014, Wilder signed with Primeira Liga club Vitória Setúbal in Portugal. He hoped to play a lot and get called up to the Peru national team. However, he did not play in any matches for the club.
Because he wasn't playing, Cartagena returned to Peru in January 2015. He joined Universidad San Martín. He made his debut for them in February. He scored his first goal for the club in July 2016, again against UCV. In 2017, he played in 38 matches, which was his most in a single season at that time.
Playing in Mexico and Back to Alianza Lima
In January 2018, Cartagena moved to Mexico to play for Liga MX club Veracruz. He made his debut there in a 1–1 draw. He played 13 games in his first season. The next season, he also played in the Copa MX for the first time.
In January 2019, Wilder rejoined Alianza Lima for a year. He played his first game back in February. In March, he made his debut in the Copa Libertadores, a big international club competition. He played 30 domestic games and 5 international games that year.
Moving to Argentina and UAE
Wilder Cartagena signed with Argentine Primera División club Godoy Cruz in January 2020. He made his debut in February and scored his first goal for them soon after. He played fewer games in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, he started playing regularly again, scoring two more goals before leaving the club.
In July 2021, he joined UAE Pro League club Kalba FC in the United Arab Emirates. He played his first game in August. He made 25 appearances across all competitions during the 2021–22 season.
Joining Orlando City SC
In August 2022, Cartagena joined Major League Soccer club Orlando City on loan. He made his debut for Orlando City in August, coming on as a substitute. He also played one game for Orlando City B, their reserve team, and scored a goal.
In July 2023, Wilder scored his first goal for Orlando City in a Leagues Cup match. This goal helped his team move forward in the competition. In September, he received a red card during a game. In October, he scored his first MLS Cup playoffs goal, helping Orlando win 1–0.
Orlando City officially signed Cartagena permanently in December 2023. In the 2024 season, he played 39 games, which was the most in his career for a single club in one season. In January 2025, he had surgery for an injury to his left Achilles tendon.
International Career for Peru
Youth Teams
Wilder Cartagena played for the Peru U17 team in 2011. He made his international debut in a game against Argentina. Peru did not make it past the group stage in that tournament.
In 2013, he was called up to the Peru U20 team. He played his first game for them in January against Uruguay. His team finished first in their group but placed fifth in the final round.
Senior National Team
Cartagena was first called up to the Peru senior team in 2018 for friendly matches before the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He made his debut in May 2018 against Scotland. He was then chosen for the World Cup squad. On June 26, he played in his first World Cup game against Australia, which Peru won 2–0. This was Peru's first World Cup win since 1978.
He also played for Peru in the 2021 Copa América in Brazil. He made his tournament debut in June 2021 against Colombia. Peru reached the semi-finals but lost to Brazil.
In June 2024, Cartagena was called up for the 2024 Copa América in the United States. He played in all three group stage matches, but Peru was eliminated from the tournament.
Personal Life
Wilder Cartagena has a daughter. He has a very close friendship with his Orlando City teammate, Pedro Gallese. They have played for the same clubs before, and their families are also very close.
Honours
Orlando City
- U.S. Open Cup: 2022
See also
In Spanish: Wilder Cartagena para niños
