Cavalry FC captain/goalkeeper Marco Carducci to leave CPL club after seven seasons

Marco Carducci was one of the first signings Cavalry FC made, but seven years later, with mixed emotions, he says now is the time to move on.

CALGARY — Captain Marco Carducci, twice named the Canadian Premier League’s best goalkeeper, is leaving Cavalry FC after seven seasons.

The Calgary-based team confirmed Carducci’s departure with his contract at an end.

“This is not an easy decision by any means, but I’ve reached a point in my life and career where I’m ready for a new chapter and a new challenge and now is the right time for it,” Carducci said in a statement.

“My time here has been very special, with so many incredible moments that I’m grateful for,” he added. “I’m thankful to have captained the club and brought trophies home to Calgary, among other meaningful milestones in my career. It has been an incredible experience with a lot of growth, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity that being at this club presented to me.”

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The 29-year-old Calgary native joined Cavalry in December 2018 ahead of the CPL’s inaugural 2019 season. He went on to make 193 appearances across all competitions with 57 clean sheets.

Carducci helped Cavalry to the CPL Shield, topping the regular-season standings, in 2023, and the North Star Cup as CPL champion in 2024.

“Marco has been an exceptional leader for this football club from the very first day he walked through the door,” Cavalry coach and general manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr. said in a statement. ”We won’t just miss his consistency and calm presence between the posts. We’ll miss the incredible human being he is.

“We’ve shared unforgettable highs and some difficult lows, both on and off the pitch, and I’m deeply grateful to Marco for trusting me to coach him and for everything I’ve learned from him along the way. Saying goodbye is never easy, and today is no different, but this club will always be a home for him.”

Carducci was diagnosed with testicular cancer in February 2022, winning the league’s Golden Glove Award that season after recovering. He also won the award in 2019 and was a finalist in 2021, 2023 and 2025.

Carducci joined the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2014, making his pro debut later that year in a Canadian Championship loss to Toronto FC. After being loaned to the Whitecaps reserve side, Carducci had a stint with the USL Championship’s Rio Grande Valley FC in 2017 before joining Wheeldon in Calgary at Foothills FC in 2018.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2025.

The Canadian Press