Ben Cabango

Benjamin George Cabango (born 30 May 2000) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a defender for and captains EFL Championship club Swansea City, and represents the Wales national team.

Ben Cabango

Cabango with Wales at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name	Benjamin George Cabango[1]
Date of birth	(2000-05-30) 30 May 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth	Cardiff, Wales
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Swansea City
Number	5
Youth career
	Newport County
	Swansea City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–	Swansea City	211	(10)
2018–2019	→ The New Saints (loan)	16	(0)
International career‡
2017	Wales U17	1	(0)
2018–2019	Wales U19	10	(1)
2019	Wales U21	5	(0)
2020–	Wales	12	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:23, 3 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:01, 19 November 2024 (UTC)

Early life

Cabango was born in Cardiff to an Angolan father and a Welsh mother. He has a younger brother named Theo who plays rugby union for Cardiff.^[2] He attended Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr, a Welsh language comprehensive school.^[3][4]

Club career

Cabango began his career as a youth player with local amateur side Maindy Corries, where his father Paolo was a coach, before joining the youth academy at Newport County,^[5] where he played from under-13 to under-15 levels. He moved to the academy at Swansea City when he is 14,^[6] where he captained the under-19 side to win the FAW Welsh Youth Cup in 2018 and helped the under-23 side reach the final of the Premier League Cup.^[3][7]

In June 2018, Cabango signed his first professional deal with Swansea City, then signed for reigning Welsh Premier League champions The New Saints on a six-month loan deal.^[3][8] He made his senior debut for the side in a 5–0 defeat to Macedonian side KF Shkëndija in the first leg of the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League.^[9] In the return leg, Cabango scored his first senior goal as The New Saints won 4–0 but were eliminated on aggregate.^[10]

On 13 August 2019, he made his professional debut for Swansea in a 3–1 victory over Northampton Town in the first round of the League Cup.^[11] He made his league debut as a substitute against Huddersfield Town on 26 November 2019.^[12] In March 2020, he signed a new deal with Swansea until 2023.^[13]

In January 2025, following an accepted bid for Matt Grimes, Cabango was named club captain.^[14]

International career

Cabango made his senior Wales international debut as a second-half substitute during the team's UEFA Nations League League B match against Finland on 3 September 2020, which Wales won 1–0.^[15] In May 2021 he was selected for the Wales squad for the delayed UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.^[16] In November 2022 he was named in the Wales squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.^[17]

Personal life

Ben Cabango is the elder brother of professional rugby union player Theo Cabango.^[18]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 29 September 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Swansea City	2018–19[19]	Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2019–20[20]	Championship	21	1	0	0	3	0	2[a]	0	26	1
	2020–21[21]	Championship	30	4	2	0	0	0	3[a]	0	35	4
	2021–22[22]	Championship	37	1	0	0	2	1	—		39	2
	2022–23[23]	Championship	43	2	2	0	1	0	—		46	2
	2023–24[23]	Championship	35	0	0	0	1	0	—		36	0
	2024–25[24]	Championship	7	1	0	0	2	0	—		9	1
	Total		173	9	4	0	9	1	5	0	191	10
The New Saints (loan)	2018–19[25]	Welsh Premier League	16	0	0	0	3	0	6[b]	1	25	1
Career total			189	9	4	0	12	1	11	1	216	11

1. Appearance(s) in Championship play-offs
2. Two appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 11 October 2024

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Wales	2020	2	0
	2021	1	0
	2022	2	0
	2023	2	0
	2024	3	0
Total		10	0