Adelaide soccer star returns to A-League pitch after gruelling cancer treatment
Adelaide-born footballer Carlo Armiento is back on the soccer pitch after recovering from chemotherapy treatment in his home town. The talented young sports star tells InDaily it was in March last year when a persistent cough led to a lung cancer diagnosis.
Adelaide-born footballer Carlo Armiento is back on the pitch and in blistering form, a year and a half after being diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The 26-year-old, who grew up playing for Adelaide City FC and attended Blackfriars Priory School, is off to a red-hot start with the Wellington Phoenix this A-League season.
Armiento’s cancer journey started in March 2024 when a persistent cough led to a chest X-ray in Brisbane, doctors discovering a nine-centimetre mass in his lung.
“The first thing I said was ‘When can I play football again?’” he tells InDaily.
He returned to Adelaide for treatment, a gruelling two months of chemotherapy and thirteen consecutive days of radiotherapy.
It was an exhausting process that left him isolated and physically drained, but Armiento was grateful for the support of Professional Footballers Australia.
“If I didn’t have them, it would be coming out of my pocket, and I was off contract,” Armiento says.
Returning home to Adelaide gave Armiento the comfort and support he needed to face the toughest period of his life, including his fiancee Chloe Dinning.
“People in Adelaide are so close and get behind you, and I wouldn’t have got through without it,” he says, reflecting on the support he received during treatment.
“My fiancée Chloe was my biggest support, and my mum and dad were incredible.”
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Armiento underwent treatment at Adelaide Oncology and Haematology in the Calvary North Adelaide Hospital and praises Associate Professor Ian Lewis for his efforts.
“From day one, he was really positive, gave me the honest truth and made the whole process easy,” he says.
“His optimism relieved the tension and stress on my family, helping them stay strong during the toughest days.”
A key turning point in Armiento’s recovery came during a follow-up scan, giving him hope that he was turning a corner.
“The rescan in the doctors, before and after the mass shrinking — that’s when I realised, I was finally winning my battle.”
He admits it was tough to put his health before his football, especially since the diagnosis coincided with career uncertainty.
Ruled out for the final two months of the 2024-25 season, the Brisbane Roar elected not to offer the left winger a contract extension.
Despite the setbacks, he worked tirelessly to regain match-ready fitness levels, crediting former strength and conditioning coach Jason Weber for voluntarily creating a program to support his recovery.
His resilience now is rooted in the lessons he learned as a young footballer in Adelaide, where his love of football first took shape.
“I loved school soccer, especially intercol vs CBC,” he says.
Armiento gives credit to the coaches and mentors in Adelaide who helped shape his career from a young age.
“Paul Pezos and Marco Kurz were massive influences on me,” he says.
A breakthrough came at just 16, when Damian Mori gave him his first taste of senior football with the Adelaide City National Premier League team.
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“That moment made me realise I could really pursue football professionally.”
Those early lessons and experiences in Adelaide laid the foundation for the resilience and determination that would carry him through the toughest moments of his career.
Fresh off a European holiday, the Phoenix goal sneak is now fit, healthy, and mentally strong, proving himself to the world game by game.
The dynamic attacker has scored goals in back-to-back matches, including a 96th-minute match-winner against Brisbane, the club that gave up on him at his lowest.
His recent form has showcased not only his crafty finishing ability but also the adaptability and character that have defined his comeback.
Armiento’s career has taken him from Adelaide United and Perth Glory to Brisbane Roar, with a brief stint at Italy’s Turris Calcio. Yet to find a true football home, he has a feeling that with his fresh start in Wellington, he can be something special.
Armiento’s move across the Tasman has given him a fresh start, both on and off the pitch, providing a change of scenery and a rejuvenated mindset.
Additionally, working under coach Giancarlo Italiano has prompted new opportunities, including a positional change that has elevated his game.
“Mentally and physically, this feels like the start of my best football,” he said.
With the Kiwi Clásico against Auckland looming, Armiento says the Phoenix are brimming with confidence, ready to seize the spotlight in one of the A-League’s fiercest rivalries.
“The sky’s the limit. There is no pressure, and we are taking it one game at a time, focused on giving our best at every match,” he says.
“Going through it has made me stronger because I just don’t get phased by anything now.”
Armiento is focused on the present and the future, ready to make the most of every opportunity and share his journey to inspire others facing adversity.
“I love Adelaide. Everyone makes fun of Adelaide, but I say it’s the best place in Australia,” he says.
“At the end of the day, it’s not about me, it’s about helping others who are struggling. Whether it’s one person, ten, or a hundred, I just want my story to make a difference.”
