# 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.

## 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. He attended Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr, a Welsh language comprehensive school.

## 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, where he played from under-13 to under-15 levels. He moved to the academy at Swansea City when he is 14, 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.
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. 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. In the return leg, Cabango scored his first senior goal as The New Saints won 4–0 but were eliminated on aggregate.
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. He made his league debut as a substitute against Huddersfield Town on 26 November 2019. In March 2020, he signed a new deal with Swansea until 2023.
In January 2025, following an accepted bid for Matt Grimes, Cabango was named club captain.

## 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. In May 2021 he was selected for the Wales squad for the delayed UEFA Euro 2020 tournament. In November 2022 he was named in the Wales squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

## Personal life

Ben Cabango is the elder brother of professional rugby union player Theo Cabango.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 29 September 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Swansea City | 2018–19 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Swansea City | 2019–20 | Championship | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 1 |
| Swansea City | 2020–21 | Championship | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 35 | 4 |
| Swansea City | 2021–22 | Championship | 37 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 39 | 2 |
| Swansea City | 2022–23 | Championship | 43 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 46 | 2 |
| Swansea City | 2023–24 | Championship | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 0 |
| Swansea City | 2024–25 | Championship | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 1 |
| Swansea City | Total | Total | 173 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 191 | 10 |
| The New Saints (loan) | 2018–19 | Welsh Premier League | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 25 | 1 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 189 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 216 | 11 |
* 1 2 Appearance(s) in Championship play-offs
* ↑ 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 |
| Wales | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
| Wales | 2022 | 2 | 0 |
| Wales | 2023 | 2 | 0 |
| Wales | 2024 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 10 | 0 |