Ronan Kpakio
Welsh footballer (born 2007)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ronan Sahr Kpakio (born 25 May 2007) is a Welsh footballer who plays as a defender for EFL League One club Cardiff City and the Wales national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ronan Sahr Kpakio[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 25 May 2007[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Cardiff, Wales | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Cardiff City | ||
| Number | 44 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2015–2024 | Cardiff City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024– | Cardiff City | 32 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022 | Wales U16 | 5 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Wales U17 | 13 | (1) |
| 2024 | Wales U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2024 | Wales U19 | 5 | (0) |
| 2025– | Wales | 3 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12 March 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 13:17, 18 November 2025 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Kpakio joined Cardiff City aged eight,[4] signing a first professional contract in July 2024.[5]
Ahead of the 2024–25 season, Kpakio featured for the first-team during pre-season, particularly impressing during a 7–1 thrashing of Penybont where he registered two assists.[6] On 13 August 2024, he was handed a senior professional debut, playing the duration of an EFL Cup First Round victory over Bristol Rovers.[7][8] In December 2024, he made his Championship debut as a second-half substitute in a 2–0 defeat to Sheffield United due to a number of injuries in the right-back area of the squad.[9][10]
He scored his first goal for Cardiff in the EFL League One opener against Peterborough United on 2 August 2025.
On 22 September 2025, Kpakio signed a new contract with the Bluebirds, running until the summer of 2029.[11] He became a first-team regular in the 2025–26 season.[12]
International career
After earning caps at youth level for Wales, Kpakio was given a place in the senior team squad by manager Craig Bellamy, aged just 18, ahead of the national side's FIFA World Cup qualification games against Liechtenstein and Belgium in June 2025. At the time of his call-up, Kpakio had made just six senior professional appearances.[13]
Kpakio made his senior international debut in a 1–0 friendly defeat to Canada in Swansea on 9 September 2025. He started the game and played seventy minutes before being replaced by Sorba Thomas.[14]
Personal life
Born in Wales, Kpakio is of Zimbabwean descent.[15]
Career statistics
- As of match played 2 August 2025
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cardiff City | 2024–25[16] | Championship | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |
| 2025–26[17] | League One | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 34 | 1 | |
| Career total | 32 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 1 | ||
- Appearance in EFL Trophy
International
- As of match played 18 November 2025[18]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales | 2025 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 0 | |