Ellie Carpenter

Ellie Madison Carpenter (born 28 April 2000) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a right-back for Women's Super League club Chelsea and the Australia national team. She previously played for Western Sydney Wanderers, Canberra United and Melbourne City in Australia's W-League, Portland Thorns in the United States' National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), and Lyon in the French Première Ligue. She is regarded as one of the best female defenders in the world, with strong on-the-ball, crossing and defensive skills.

Carpenter made her debut for the Australia national team at the age of 15, the country's first international soccer player – male or female – to be born in the 2000s. She was also the youngest Australian competitor at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and the youngest ever female footballer to compete at the Olympics. She made her W-League debut at age 15. In May 2018, she was the youngest player to appear in an NWSL game in league history at age 18. Carpenter was named the W-League's W-League Young Footballer of the Year three consecutive years from 2018 to 2020. She is the third Australian (male or female) to win the tournament, the first being Harry Kewell (who won the 2005 final of the men's edition with Liverpool) and the second being Zeljko Kalac with AC Milan in 2007.

Early life and education Ellie Madison Carpenter was born on 28 April 2000, located approximately west of Sydney. She grew up on a farm there with her parents, who were both physical education teachers. She attended both Cowra and Mulyan Public Schools.

At age 17, she dropped out of school to pursue her athletic career full-time.

Club career Western Sydney Wanderers Carpenter joined Western Sydney Wanderers in September 2015. During the 2015–16 W-League season, she was a starting defender in all twelve games that she played. Despite being only 15, she was a versatile right back defender who often helped out in offensive plays overlapping and serving crosses to her teammates.

Canberra United

In August 2017, Carpenter signed with Canberra United for the 2017–18 W-League season. Carpenter was a starting defender in 10 of the 11 games she played and scored 2 goals. Canberra finished in eighth place with a record. She noted, "I'm off to find a new challenge and to experience new things. My time in green will always be memorable." Carpenter was a starting defender in 16 of the 19 games she played during the 2018 season and scored one goal.

Carpenter was a starting defender in 16 of the 19 games she played in during the 2019 NWSL season.

Loan to Melbourne City In October 2019, Carpenter joined Melbourne City on a one-season loan. She was a starting defender in all 14 matches and scored two goals. After advancing to the Final Stages, Carpenter helped Melbourne City win the Grand Final shutting out Sydney FC 1–0. Carpenter was named Young Footballer of the Year award for the third consecutive time in July 2020. On 3 July, she signed a contract that extends to 2023. On 14 August 2020, she made her first appearance for the French club in a 4–0 friendly victory over PSV Eindhoven and provided an assist for Nikita Parris. She scored her first goal for Lyon in the 2–1 victory against Bordeaux on 27 September. Carpenter was an unused sub in the Champions League final win against Wolfsburg.

She won her second Champions League in 2022, with her club beat Barcelona 3–1, though she was forced to be substituted in just over 20 minutes due to an injury. On 28 June 2022, Lyon extended their contract with Carpenter until 30 June 2026.

Chelsea On 2 July 2025, Chelsea announced the transfer of Carpenter from Lyon on a four-year deal. In her debut match, Carpenter played as an aggressive wing-back and assisted the opening goal of the 2025–26 season with a cross to Aggie Beever-Jones who scored a close range goal in a 31st-minute opener.

International career

Carpenter has represented Australia on the senior national team (commonly referred to as the Matildas) as well as the under-17, and under-20 national teams.

At the age of 14, Carpenter was first called up to the under-17 team for 2015 AFC U-16 Championship qualification in September 2014. She made her debut for the under-17 team in a win over Vietnam, playing a full match in the first game of qualification.

At the age of 15, Carpenter earned her first cap for the senior national team in a 9–0 win against Vietnam on 2 March 2016 during the Olympic Qualifiers. Her appearance marked the first Australian international (women's or men's) born since 2000. After finishing third in their Group and finishing first in the group of third place teams, the Matildas were defeated by Brazil during an intense penalty kick shootout in the quarterfinals.

In 2017, Carpenter competed with the Matildas at the Tournament of Nations in the United States. The Australians won the tournament after a 6–1 win over Brazil. During the 28th minute of a match against the United States, Carpenter was hit directly in the face by a ball being cleared by American defender Crystal Dunn. Carpenter dropped to the ground and was later taken off the field by medical staff. Playing with gauze up her bleeding nose, she returned to the field to help the Matildas secure a 1–1 draw against the 2015 FIFA World Cup champions.

In February 2019, Carpenter was named to the Matildas squad for the inaugural FFA Cup of Nations. Carpenter helped the Matildas win the Cup.

At age 19, Carpenter made her World Cup debut at the 2019 FIFA World Cup in France during the team's first Group stage match: a 2–1 loss to Italy. The team turned it around during their second Group stage match: a 3–2 win over Brazil, becoming only the second team in tournament history to win after a two-goal deficit. After finishing second in their group after a 4–1 over Jamaica, the Matildas advanced to the Round of 16 where they faced Norway where they lost in penalty kicks.

Carpenter was a member of the Matildas Tokyo 2020 Olympics squad. The Matildas qualified for the quarter-finals and beat Great Britain before being eliminated in the semi-final with Sweden. In the playoff for the Bronze medal they were beaten by the USA.

On 3 July 2023, Carpenter was selected in the Matildas squad for the 2023 FIFA World Cup.

On 4 June 2024, Carpenter was named in the Matildas team which qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics, her third Olympic Games selection. As through most of her career, she plays in the right-back position.

Carpenter featured in the final of the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup as the Matildas finished runners-up following a 1–0 loss against Japan on 21 March 2026.

Personal life On 1 January 2024, it was announced that Carpenter became engaged to Dutch footballer and former Lyon teammate Daniëlle van de Donk. They married in June 2025 at the Château Hermitage de Combas in the Occitania region of France.

Due to living in France from 2020 to 2025, she became fluent in French by 2023.

Career statistics Club

International

Coupe de France: 2019–20, 2022–23 Trophée des Championnes: 2022, 2023 UEFA Women's Champions League: 2019–20, 2021–22

Chelsea Women's League Cup: 2025–26

Australia Tournament of Nations: 2017 IFFHS AFC Woman Team of the Decade 2011–2020 W-League Young Footballer of the Year: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20 UNFP Première Ligue team of the year: 2023–24 PFA WSL Team of the Year: 2025–26