External links
- Maldini Kacurri at Premier League (archived)
- Maldini Kacurri – UEFA competition record ( archive )
- Maldini Kacurri at Soccerway
- Maldini Kacurri at WorldFootball.net
| 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.
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.[ citation needed ]
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]
On 3 February 2025, Kacurri joined League Two club Bromley on loan for the remainder of the season. [10]
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]
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]
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]
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." [ citation needed ]
| 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 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | |||
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
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.
