Wilder Cartagena

Wilder Cartagena

Cartagena with Orlando City in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Wilder José Cartagena Mendoza
Date of birth	(1994-09-23) 23 September 1994 (age 30)[1]
Place of birth	El Carmen, Ica, Peru[2]
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[3]
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	Orlando City
Number	16
Youth career
2012	Alianza Lima
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2012–2014	Alianza Lima	24	(1)
2014–2015	Vitória Setúbal	0	(0)
2015–2017	Universidad San Martín	100	(3)
2018	Veracruz	25	(0)
2019	Alianza Lima	30	(0)
2020–2021	Godoy Cruz	17	(3)
2021–2023	Kalba FC	22	(0)
2022–2023	→ Orlando City (loan)	35	(2)
2022	→ Orlando City B (loan)	1	(1)
2024–	Orlando City	27	(0)
International career^‡
2013–	Peru	40	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 November 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 November 2024

Wilder José Cartagena Mendoza (born 23 September 1994) is a Peruvian footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Major League Soccer club Orlando City and the Peru national team.^[4]

Early life

Cartagena spent most of his free time playing football on the streets and on a bad pitch. El Carmen was badly affected by an earthquake that collapsed Cartagena's school, which forced him to go study in Lima. While studying in Lima he made friends who were playing youth football with various clubs and it was there he tried out for Alianza Lima and was accepted. Cartagena started out playing as a goalkeeper for Alianza Lima, but following a scrimmage between his school, which he did not play as a goalkeeper for, and the academy of Alianza Lima, the club moved him into midfield.^[2]

Club career

Wilder Cartagena was promoted to the Alianza Lima first team in January 2012.^[4] He soon made his Torneo Descentralizado league debut on matchday one in a 2–2 home draw against León de Huánuco.^[5] He was used again as a starter by manager José Soto on matchday 27 in away match against Juan Aurich.^[6]

On 2 August 2022, Cartegena joined Orlando City of Major League Soccer on loan from the remainder of the 2022 season with an option to extend through 2023.^[7] He was acquired by the club permanently in December 2023.^[8]

International career

In May 2018, Cartegena was named in Peru's provisional 24 man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.^[9]

Cartegena represented Peru at the 2021 Copa América^[10] and the 2024 Copa América.^[11]

Personal life

Cartagena has a daughter. Cartagena describes his relationship with fellow Orlando City player Pedro Gallese as a "brotherhood" as they have played for the same clubs in the past and their families are very close together.^[2]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 30 November 2024^[12]

Club	Season	League			National cup[a]		Continental[b]		Other[c]		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Alianza Lima	2012	Torneo Descentralizado	3	0	—		—		—		3	0
	2013		21	1	—		—		—		21	1
	Total		24	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	24	1
Vitória Setúbal	2014–15	Primeira Liga	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
Universidad San Martín	2015	Torneo Descentralizado	25	0	9	0	—		—		34	0
	2016		37	2	—		—		—		37	2
	2017		38	1	—		—		—		38	1
	Total		100	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	109	3
Veracruz	2017–18	Liga MX	13	0	0	0	—		—		13	0
	2018–19		12	0	1	0	—		—		13	0
	Total		25	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	26	0
Alianza Lima	2019	Peruvian Primeria División	30	0	0	0	5	0	—		35	0
Godoy Cruz	2019–20	Argentine Primera División	4	1	1	0	—		—		5	1
	2021		2	0	0	0	—		—		2	0
	2022		11	2	0	0	—		—		11	2
	Total		17	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	18	3
Kalba FC	2021–22	UAE Pro League	22	0	3	0	—		—		25	0
Orlando City B (loan)	2022	MLS Next Pro	1	1	—		—		—		1	1
Orlando City (loan)	2022	Major League Soccer	8	0	1	0	—		0	0	9	0
	2023		27	2	1	0	1	0	6[d]	2	35	4
Orlando City	2024		27	0	—		4	0	7[e]	0	39	0
	Total		62	2	2	0	5	0	13	2	83	4
Career total			281	10	16	0	10	0	13	2	321	12

1. Includes Copa Inca, Copa MX, Copa de la Superliga, UAE League Cup, and U.S. Open Cup
2. Includes Copa Libertadores and CONCACAF Champions Cup
3. Includes MLS Cup Playoffs and Leagues Cup
4. Three appearances and one goal in Leagues Cup and three appearances and one goal in MLS Cup playoffs
5. Three appearances in Leagues Cup and four appearances in MLS Cup Playoffs

International

As of match played 15 November 2024^[13]

Peru
Year	Apps	Goals
2017	2	0
2018	3	0
2020	1	0
2021	10	0
2022	5	0
2023	8	0
2024	11	0
Total	40	0

Honours

Orlando City

• U.S. Open Cup: 2022

References

1. "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
2. Get to Know: Wilder Cartagena (Video). Orlando City SC. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
3. "Wilder Cartagena". Orlando City SC. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
4. "Player – Wilder Cartagena". footballdatabase.eu. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
5. "Match: Alianza Lima 2–2 León de Huánuco". footballdatabase.eu. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
6. "Match: Juan Aurich 1–0 Alianza Lima". footballdatabase.eu. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
7. "Orlando City SC Acquires Peruvian National Team Midfielder Wilder Cartagena". www.orlandocitysc.com.
8. "Orlando City SC Acquires Peruvian National Team Midfielder Wilder Cartagena". www.orlandocitysc.com.
9. "Revealed: Every World Cup 2018 squad – Final 23-man lists". goal.com. Goal. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
10. Peruvian Football Federation [@SeleccionPeru] (10 June 2021). "¡Un mismo objetivo! Estos son los futbolistas convocados por el profesor Ricardo Gareca para disputar la @CopaAmerica 2021" (Tweet) (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 June 2021 – via Twitter.
11. Figueroa, Diego (15 June 2024). "Lista de convocados de la Selección Peruana para la Copa América 2024: Christian Cueva estará en el torneo" (in Spanish). Radio Programas del Perú. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
12. "W. Cartagena".
13. "Wilder Cartagena". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 29 June 2024.

External links

• Wilder Cartagena at Soccerway.com
• Wilder Cartagena at WorldFootball.net
• Wilder Cartagena at National-Football-Teams.com
• Wilder Cartagena at FBref.com
• Wilder Cartagena at Major League Soccer
• Wilder Cartagena at ForaDeJogo (archived)