Delphine Cascarino

Delphine Cascarino Bio

Delphine Cascarino (born 5 February 1997) is a French professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward. She currently plays for English Women’s Super League club London City Lionesses and represents the France national team. Cascarino began her senior career at Lyon in 2015 and went on to establish herself as one of the most reliable wide attackers in European football. In 2024, she moved abroad for the first time, joining San Diego Wave FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

Across club and international football, Cascarino has collected UEFA Women’s Champions League titles, French league championships, and youth World Cup honours with France. She has represented her country at senior FIFA Women’s World Cups and UEFA European Championships, as well as at the Olympic Games. Her twin sister, Estelle Cascarino, is also a professional footballer.

Early Life and Background

Delphine Cascarino was born on 5 February 1997 in Saint-Priest, a suburb of Lyon in eastern France. She grew up in a football-loving household, with an Italian father and a mother from Guadeloupe. Although she shares a surname with former Republic of Ireland international Tony Cascarino, the family has no relation to him, a question she has often been asked in interviews.

From a young age, Cascarino played alongside her twin sister Estelle in local boys’ and girls’ setups around Saint-Priest. The twins began at AS Saint-Priest in 2006 before moving to AS Manissieux Saint-Priest two years later. Both sisters progressed quickly through the youth ranks in the Lyon metropolitan area, where strong academies and competitive local leagues provided an ideal development environment.

Path to Professional Soccer

In 2009, at the age of twelve, Cascarino joined the Lyon youth academy, one of the most respected development pipelines in women’s football. She spent seven formative years rising through the club’s age-group teams, training under experienced coaches and competing in national youth competitions. Her progress was steady, and she broke into Lyon’s senior squad during the 2014–15 season.

Cascarino signed her first professional contract with Lyon in 2015, marking the start of her senior career. She made her Division 1 Féminine debut that same season and quickly established herself as a regular in the wide attacking positions. Within three senior seasons, she had already won multiple league titles and UEFA Women’s Champions League medals, confirming her status as one of Europe’s most promising wide players.

Delphine Cascarino Career

Early Career at Lyon (2015–2020)

Cascarino’s first senior seasons at Lyon coincided with one of the most dominant eras in the history of the women’s game in Europe. She featured regularly as the club won consecutive Division 1 Féminine titles and lifted the UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy multiple times. By 2018, she had collected three Champions League winners’ medals and three French league titles with Olympique Lyonnais.

Her development at Lyon was interrupted in January 2017 when a knee injury ended her season early. She recovered fully and returned to action the following campaign, gradually increasing her minutes and influence on the wing. In May 2021, Lyon rewarded her progress with a contract extension that ran through the 2023–24 season, underscoring her importance to the squad.

Lyon Senior Breakthrough (2021–2024)

From 2021 onward, Cascarino became a central figure in Lyon’s attacking play, contributing goals, assists, and width in big matches across Europe. Her 2022–23 season was cut short when she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament in May 2023, a serious injury that kept her out of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She returned to the field in January 2024 after a long rehabilitation period.

Her comeback was emphatic. In the spring of 2024, Cascarino scored three goals across two UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinal matches, helping Lyon progress to the final. The performances highlighted her importance to the team and drew attention from clubs abroad, setting the stage for her eventual departure after nearly two decades in the Lyon system.

San Diego Wave FC Era (2024–2025)

On 24 July 2024, Cascarino joined NWSL club San Diego Wave FC on a three-year contract with an additional option. She made her league debut on 24 August, coming off the bench in a defeat to Angel City FC. Less than a month later, on 15 September, she tallied her first goal and first assist for the club in a 2–1 victory over the Utah Royals.

In her first full NWSL season in 2025, Cascarino was one of the league’s most productive players. She recorded five goals and six assists across 24 regular-season appearances, with her assist total leading the entire NWSL and her goal tally tied for highest at San Diego. She was named to the NWSL Team of the Month for April, won her first NWSL Player of the Week award, and finished the year as a nominee for the NWSL Most Valuable Player award, eventually placing on the NWSL Second XI alongside French teammate Kenza Dali.

Cascarino contributed to several club milestones, including a 5–2 victory over the North Carolina Courage that set a San Diego single-match scoring record. Later in the campaign, she scored the opening goal in a 6–1 win over Chicago Stars FC that clinched a playoff place. San Diego were eliminated in extra time by the Portland Thorns in the quarterfinals on 9 November. At the end of the season, Cascarino mutually terminated her contract with the Wave, citing a desire to be closer to home.

London City Lionesses Era (2026–Present)

On 19 January 2026, Cascarino signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with London City Lionesses of the English Women’s Super League. The move brought her back to a top European league after one season in the United States. She was assigned the number 20 shirt and was expected to provide immediate attacking width and experience to a London City side aiming to climb the WSL standings.

Driving Style and Strengths

Cascarino is recognised for her pace, direct running, and ability to stretch defences from wide positions. She combines quick footwork in tight spaces with the stamina to track back and contribute defensively, making her a complete modern winger. Her tactical understanding allows her to operate on either flank or as a forward, and her crossing and final-pass quality have produced consistent assist totals throughout her career.

Notable Events and Milestones

Among her career highlights, Cascarino was part of France’s winning squad at the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan and the 2016 UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship in Slovakia. She made her senior debut for France in 2016 against England and scored her first senior international goal on 10 November 2018 in a 3–1 win over Brazil. She has since represented France at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, the 2024 Paris Olympics, and UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, where her play was described as “immaculate” by The Athletic.

Delphine Cascarino Career Wins

Delphine Cascarino has built a trophy-laden career at both club and international level. With Lyon, she won multiple Division 1 Féminine titles and UEFA Women’s Champions League crowns, while with France she has lifted age-group World Cup and European Championship trophies. Her first major senior honour came at the start of her Lyon career, and she has continued to add medals at every stage since.

Lyon Highlights

During her time at Lyon from 2015 to 2024, Cascarino was part of squads that won three UEFA Women’s Champions League titles and three French top-flight league titles by 2018 alone. She added further domestic honours in subsequent seasons before her ACL injury in 2023. Her three-goal haul across two UWCL quarterfinals in 2024 was one of the standout individual Champions League performances of her career.

International Highlights

Cascarino was a member of the France team that won the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan, where she recorded multiple assists and converted penalties in knockout shootouts. In 2016, she helped France win the UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship in Slovakia and later represented the senior side at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She also featured as France reached the final of the 2024–25 UEFA Women’s Nations League.

Delphine Cascarino Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

Football runs strongly in the Cascarino household. Delphine is the twin sister of Estelle Cascarino, also a professional footballer who came through the Lyon academy alongside her before joining Paris FC in 2016. Their father is of Italian origin, while their mother is from Guadeloupe, giving the family a mixed European and Caribbean heritage.

Despite the shared surname, the Cascarino twins are not related to former Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino, a question they have frequently been asked in media appearances. The family has Italian, Guadeloupean, and French roots rather than any Irish connection.

Personal Life

Outside of football, Cascarino is known for her close bond with her twin sister Estelle, with whom she shared her formative years in the Lyon academy. Her move to London City Lionesses in January 2026 was partly motivated by a desire to be closer to home and family in France, suggesting that family ties remain central to her career decisions.

2025 Season Performance

Cascarino’s 2025 campaign with San Diego Wave FC marked her first full season in the NWSL and one of the most productive individual years of her career. She finished tied for the team lead in goals with five and led the entire league in assists with six, all of which were delivered to six different teammates. Her consistency earned her a place on the NWSL Team of the Month for April and an NWSL Second XI selection at season’s end.

Beyond the numbers, Cascarino contributed to several defining team moments, including a club-record 5–2 win over the North Carolina Courage and a 6–1 victory over Chicago Stars FC that secured San Diego’s playoff place. Despite her strong regular season, the Wave were eliminated in the quarterfinals by the Portland Thorns in extra time on 9 November.

Her efforts were recognised with an NWSL Most Valuable Player nomination, although the award ultimately went to Temwa Chawinga. Cascarino’s performances throughout 2025 reinforced her reputation as one of Europe’s premier wide attackers and paved the way for her return to European football with London City Lionesses in January 2026.