Ellie Carpenter is an Australian professional soccer player, serves as a defender for the French D1 Féminine club Lyon and the Australia national team. Her earlier stints include playing for Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia’s W-League and Portland Thorns FC in the United States’ National Women’s Soccer League.
Bio/Wiki
Age-23 years
Height-1.64 m
Weight-60 kg
Born-28 April 2000
Birthplace- Cowra, Australia
Spouse-Danielle van de Donk
Profession-Australian soccer player
Nationality- Australian
Current teams-Australia women’s national football team (#21 / Defender), MORE
Dates joined-2020 (Olympique Lyonnais Féminin), MORE
Parents
Ellie’s parents are Belinda Carpenter (her mother), while the name of her father is not known. She has a brother named Jeremy Carpenter. Carpenter was born and raised in Cowra, New South Wales, residing on a farm with parents who were both physical education teachers.
Relationship
Carpenter is presently in a relationship with Dutch footballer and Lyon teammate Daniëlle van de Donk. Ellie Carpenter and her partner Danielle van de Donk marked the beginning of the new year by getting engaged. The significant occasion took place in the Maldives, and both shared a photo capturing the moment on the beach, with van de Donk showcasing a stunning diamond ring.
Education
At the age of 12, her family relocated to Sydney to facilitate her enrollment at Westfields Sports High School. Prior to this, she attended both Cowra and Mulyan Public Schools. By the age of 17, she made the decision to discontinue her formal education, opting to dedicate herself entirely to her athletic career.
Career
Club Career
In September 2015, Carpenter joined Western Sydney Wanderers and played as a starting defender in all twelve games during the 2015–16 W-League season, with the team finishing seventh in the regular season. In August 2017, she signed with Canberra United for the 2017–18 W-League season, contributing as a starting defender in 10 out of 11 games and scoring 2 goals, including her first goal in January 2018. During the 2018–19 season, she scored in the season-opening 2–0 win over Melbourne City.
Carpenter made history as the youngest player in NWSL when she debuted for the Portland Thorns FC on May 9, 2018. In October 2019, she joined Melbourne City on a one-season loan, starting in all 14 matches and scoring two goals. On February 20, 2020, she scored a brace against her former team, Western Sydney Wanderers, contributing to Melbourne’s 4–0 win and the league premiership.
On August 14, 2020, Carpenter made her debut for the French club Lyon in a 4-0 friendly victory over PSV Eindhoven, providing an assist for Nikita Parris. Although she was an unused substitute in the Champions League final win against Wolfsburg, Carpenter secured her second Champions League title in 2022. Unfortunately, she had to be substituted just over 20 minutes into the game against Barcelona due to an injury.
International Career
Carpenter has represented Australia in various national teams, including the under-17 and under-20 squads. She made her under-17 debut at 14 and earned her first cap for the senior national team at 15 during the Olympic Qualifiers. At 16, she became the youngest Australian competitor at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In 2017, Carpenter played in the Tournament of Nations, helping the Matildas win after a dramatic draw against the United States. She made her World Cup debut in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and played a crucial role in their comeback win over Brazil.
Carpenter was part of the Matildas’ Tokyo 2020 Olympics squad, reaching the quarter-finals and securing a victory against Great Britain before being eliminated in the semi-final. She was named to the Matildas squad for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on July 3, 2024.
Ellie Carpenter Contracts
Western Sydney Wanderers FC:
Carpenter joined Western Sydney Wanderers in September 2015, showcasing her skills as a starting defender during the 2015–16 W-League season. Despite the team finishing seventh, her standout performance earned her a call-up to a Matildas training camp in November 2015.
Canberra United FC:
In August 2017, Carpenter signed with Canberra United, excelling as a starting defender and scoring 2 goals during the 2017–18 season. She continued her impressive form in the 2018–19 season, scoring crucial goals and earning the Young Footballer of the Year award for the second consecutive time.
Portland Thorns:
Carpenter made history as the youngest player in NWSL history when she debuted for the Portland Thorns FC in May 2018. She continued to shine in the 2018 and 2019 seasons as a starting defender, contributing to the team’s playoff runs.
Melbourne City FC (loan):
Joining Melbourne City on a one-season loan in October 2019, Carpenter was a key starting defender, scoring two goals and helping the team secure the league premiership in 2020. She extended her streak of Young Footballer of the Year awards.
Lyon:
In June 2020, Carpenter transferred to Lyon, signing a contract until 2023. She made her debut in a friendly victory and contributed to Lyon’s success in the Champions League, winning it in 2022. Despite an injury forcing her substitution, Lyon extended her contract until June 2026 on June 28, 2022.
Ellie Carpenter’s Net Worth, 2024
As of 2024, Ellie Carpenter’s net worth is approximated to fall within the range of $1 million to $5 million.
Latest News about Ellie Carpenter
Ellie Carpenter’s Inspiring Message: “If I’ve Inspired One Girl or Boy to Put on Their Boots, I’m Very Happy
Throughout her 72 appearances since 2016, Carpenter has essentially matured alongside her teammates, collectively experiencing the peaks and valleys, both on and off the field. When discussing the strength of the CommBank Matildas’ bond, she attributes it to the unwavering support they provide each other.
“In this team, everyone is on the same page; everyone fights for each other,” the Cowra, NSW, native said.
“When we step foot onto the pitch, everyone gives 110%. Sometimes you don’t get that in other teams. When I play for the Matildas, it’s such a different feeling, that I don’t get it anywhere else. I get goosebumps when I talk about it because it just means so much.”
A significant setback in Carpenter’s career occurred at a highly unfortunate moment, just over a year before the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™. This occurred during Olympique Lyonnais’ UEFA Champions League Final in May 2022. In the initial 20 minutes of the first half, Carpenter sustained a knee injury. Despite being initially cleared to continue playing, it became evident that all was not well, as Carpenter fell to the ground again shortly after. Subsequently, she was stretchered off the field, and Lyon went on to defeat Barcelona 3-1, securing the Championship. Carpenter later joined the celebration on crutches, wearing a full leg brace, only to later reveal that she had torn her anterior cruciate ligament.
Initially referring to it as “devastation,” Carpenter eventually came to view her injury differently during the rehabilitation process. She began to see it as a “forced break,” allowing her the opportunity to rediscover herself outside the realm of football.
“Getting injured was a blessing in disguise,” the two-time UEFA Champions League trophy winner said.
“The World Cup was in July, so I knew I had over a year to recover. I felt confident in myself to be able to come back, but you just never know, anything can happen, so I wanted to get surgery straightaway.”
Only two days after the injury, Carpenter underwent surgery, driven by the desire to maximize her chances of a swift recovery in preparation for the most significant tournament of her career.
“After my surgery, I just went really, hard into rehab. I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard in my life. I wanted to get back as quickly as I could and tick off all the boxes.
“Mentally, I knew I could play at the highest level, and I had a lot of amazing support around me. I just wanted to stay at Lyon and build up to 90 minutes as quickly as possible,” she said.
