Maldini Kacurri
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Maldini Kacurri[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 4 October 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Lewisham, England | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Grimsby Town | ||
| Number | 2 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2022 | Fulham | ||
| 2022–2024 | Arsenal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024–2026 | Arsenal | 0 | (0) |
| 2025 | → Bromley (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2025–2026 | → Morecambe (loan) | 18 | (1) |
| 2026– | Grimsby Town | 1 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021 | Albania U17 | 2 | (0) |
| 2023 | Albania U19 | 5 | (0) |
| 2024– | Albania U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 2025– | Albania | 1 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:32, 12 February 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 4 September 2025 | |||
Maldini Kacurri (born 4 October 2005) is a footballer who plays as a defender for EFL League Two club Grimsby Town. Born in England, he plays for the Albania national team.
Early life
Kacurri was born on 4 October 2005 in Lewisham, London,[2] and was named after former AC Milan and Italy captain Paolo Maldini. His family emigrated to the UK from Albania. His family are from the city of Lezhë.[3] He has an older sister, a younger brother, and a niece. His family is of the Catholic faith.
Club career
Arsenal
Kacurri began his youth career with the youth academy of English side Fulham, before moving to Arsenal in 2022.[4] He was described as "regular feature for the Gunners at Premier League 2 level" while playing for them.[5]
Kacurri first started training with their senior team during the 2022–23 season.[4] He signed his first professional contract with the club on 4 July 2024.[6] Kacurri made his first senior matchday squad during a 1–0 win over rivals Tottenham on 15 September.[5][7] On 25 September, he made his senior debut as a substitute for Riccardo Calafiori in a 5–1 win over Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Cup,[8][9] becoming the first Albanian national to represent Arsenal's first team.[2]
Bromley (loan)
On 3 February 2025, Kacurri joined League Two club Bromley on loan for the remainder of the season.[10]
Morecambe (loan)
On 17 September 2025, Kacurri joined 5th tier semi-professional side Morecambe on a season long loan deal.[11][12][13] He made his debut for on 20 September 2025, in a 4–3 victory over Wealdstone.[14]
In November 2025, Kacurri was named Morecambe’s Player of the Month for the second consecutive month after receiving more than 50% of the supporters’ votes.[15]
Grimsby Town
On 30 January 2026, Kacurri joined League Two club Grimsby Town on a permanent transfer, agreeing an 18-month deal for an undisclosed fee.[16][17]
International career
An Albanian youth international, Kacurri made two appearances for the Albania national under-17 team before joining the Albania national under-19 team in 2023.
On 1 September 2025, Kacurri received his first senior call-up from coach Sylvinho for a friendly against Gibraltar and a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Latvia, being a replacement for Adrian Bajrami, who withdrew from the squad amid reports of switching allegiance to Switzerland.[18]
He made his senior debut three days later against Gibraltar, starting as a centre-back and playing the full 90 minutes, while also being booked in the 48th minute for a foul challenge, as Albania kept a clean sheet in a 0–1 away win.[19]
Style of play
Kacurri mainly operates as a defender, specifically operates as a center-back.[20] He has been described as an "unstoppable defender, combative and with a tall stature that significantly distinguishes him from his peers."
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 11 February 2026[21]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arsenal U21 | 2022–23[22] | — | — | — | — | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 2024–25[23] | — | — | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| Arsenal U21 Total | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| Arsenal | 2024–25[23] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2025–26[24] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Arsenal total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Bromley (loan) | 2024–25[23] | League Two | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Morecambe (loan) | 2025–26[24] | National League | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | ||
| Grimsby Town | 2025–26[24] | League Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 1 | ||
- ^ a b Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | |||
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
References
- ^ "2024/25 Updated Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 7 February 2025. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
- ^ a b James, Josh (26 September 2024). "The stats and records around our latest debutants". Arsenal FC. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ Choudhary, Dayeem (29 October 2024). "Behind the rising star: Maldini Kacurri". vavel.com. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
Born on October 4, 2005, in Lewisham, London, to a family originally from the city of Lezhë, Albania, Kacurri's journey is not just a personal achievement but a symbol of hope for many young athletes with immigrant backgrounds.
- ^ a b Pangratiou, Lewis (20 October 2022). "Who is Maldini Kacurri? 17-year-old spotted in Arsenal training ahead of PSV Europa League clash". football.london. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ a b Wood, Liam (15 September 2024). "Who are Ayden Heaven, Maldini Kacurri and Ismeal Kabia? Arsenal wonderkids on bench vs Tottenham". football.london. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ "Seven academy players sign professional contracts". Arsenal FC. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Spurs v Arsenal, 2024/25 | Premier League". Premier League. 15 September 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ Wright, Stephen (25 September 2024). "Report: Arsenal 5–1 Bolton Wanderers". Arsenal FC. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ "Arsenal vs Bolton Wanderers". English Football League. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ "Maldini Kacurri joins on loan from Arsenal". www.bromleyfc.co.uk. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ^ "Maldini Kacurri signs on loan". www.morecambefc.com. 17 September 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ^ "Maldini Kacurri joins Morecambe on loan". Arsenal.com. 17 September 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ^ "Zyrtare/ Silvinjo e bëri titullar në Kombëtare, futbollisti huazohet te gjysmëprofesionistët në kategorinë e pestë". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 17 September 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ^ "Morecambe vs Wealdstone". BeSoccer. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ "Arsenal loanee wins 2nd consecutive Player of the Month award". Daily Cannon. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- ^ "Mariners Secure Maldini Kacurri on Permanent Deal". Grimsby Town FC. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ "Maldini Kacurri joins Grimsby Town". Arsenal.com. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ^ "Ndryshime në listën e Kombëtares: largohen A. Bajrami dhe Muçi, ftohen Kacurri, Çokaj & Shpendi" [Changes in the National Team list: A. Bajrami and Muçi leave, Kacurri, Çokaj & Shpendi are invited] (in Albanian). Albanian Football Federation. 1 September 2025.
- ^ "Shqipëria fiton në miqësoren ndaj Gjibraltarit, vendos goli i Asanit" [Albania wins friendly against Gibraltar, Asani's goal decides] (in Albanian). Albanian Football Federation. 4 September 2025.
- ^ "Everything you need to know about Arsenal wonderkid Maldini Kacurri including age, height and stats". Arsenal Insider. 16 September 2024.
- ^ Maldini Kacurri at BeSoccer
- ^ "Games played by Maldini Kacurri in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ a b c "Games played by Maldini Kacurri in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ a b c "Games played by Maldini Kacurri in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ^ "Maldini Kacurri". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
- ^ Maldini Kacurri at EU-Football.info (archive)
External links
- Maldini Kacurri at Premier League (archived)
- Maldini Kacurri – UEFA competition record (archive)
- Maldini Kacurri at Soccerway
- Maldini Kacurri at WorldFootball.net