Aaron Cartwright
New Zealand footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aaron Cartwright (born 5 July 2008) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a forward for A-League Men club Auckland FC.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aaron Cen Cartwright | ||
| Date of birth | 5 July 2008 | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Auckland FC | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2021 | Oakleigh Cannons | ||
| 2021–2026 | Melbourne City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2025–2026 | Melbourne City | 0 | (0) |
| 2026– | Auckland FC | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024 | Australia U17 | 0 | (0) |
| 2024– | New Zealand U17 | 7 | (7) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22 July 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 12 November 2025 | |||
Club career
Melbourne City
Cartwright joined the Melbourne City Youth from Oakleigh Cannons in 2021.[1][2] He played in the National Premier Leagues Victoria for Melbourne City, making 15 appearances and scoring four goals during the 2025 season.[3]
On 30 July 2025, Cartwright made his professional debut for Melbourne City, coming off the bench in a 2–0 defeat to APIA Leichhardt in the Australia Cup Round of 32 at Leichhardt Oval.[4][5] During the 2025–26 season, Cartwright was also named on the bench for Melbourne City in their AFC Champions League Elite clash against Sanfrecce Hiroshima but did not make an appearance.[6]
In the 2026 NPL Victoria season, Cartwright made 13 appearances and scored one goal before departing.
Auckland FC
On 23 July 2026, Cartwright signed for fellow A-League Men side Auckland FC, signing a scholarship contract with the club ahead of the 2026–27 season.[7][8]
International career
Cartwright was initially selected for the Australia under-17 soccer team, making appearances for the Joeys before switching his international allegiance to New Zealand, for whom he was eligible through his father.[9]
In 2024, he was named in New Zealand's squad for the 2024 OFC U-16 Men's Championship in Tahiti.[10] He played a key role in New Zealand winning a record ninth title and qualifying for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup,[11] finishing as the tournament's leading goalscorer with seven goals. Cartwright was awarded both the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer and the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.[12][9][13]
Cartwright represented New Zealand at the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.[14][15] In New Zealand's final group match at the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Cartwright assisted William Britton for the equalising goal in the 82nd minute against Austria. However, Austria would go on to win 4–1, eliminating New Zealand from the tournament.[16][17]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played on 23 July 2026.
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Melbourne City Youth | 2025 | NPL Victoria | 15 | 4 | — | 0 | 0 | 15 | 4 | |
| 2026 | NPL Victoria | 13 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | ||
| Melbourne City | 2025–26 | A-League Men | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 5 | ||
| Auckland FC | 2026–27 | A-League Men | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 5 | ||
- Includes appearances in the Australia Cup
Honours
- New Zealand U16
- Individual
- OFC U-16 Men's Championship Golden Ball: 2024
- OFC U-16 Men's Championship Golden Boot: 2024 (7 goals)