Kosta Barbarouses

DOB 19/2/90

Kosta Barbarouses started his professional career at the Phoenix in 2008 and is now one of the A-League’s most decorated players.

The All Whites forward has played more than 300 A-League matches, winning titles with Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory (twice) and Sydney FC.

Barbarouses spent his first two A-League seasons in Wellington before heading to Brisbane, where he scored 12 goals to help the Roar lift the 2011 title.

After two seasons in Europe he returned to Australia and joined the Melbourne Victory. Barbarouses scored in the Victory’s 3-0 grand final win over Sydney FC in 2015.

He spent the 2016-17 season with the Phoenix before returning to the Victory, where he scored 28 goals over the next two years, including the match-winner against the Newcastle Jets in the 2018 A-League title decider.

Barbarouses moved to Sydney FC the following year and started for the Sky Blues in the 2020 and 2021 grand finals.

He re-joined his hometown club on a two-year deal in June 2022 after being limited to just 11 A-League appearances in his final season in Sydney, having fractured his ankle in training.

He was heavily featured during the A-League campaign, playing 24 of 27 league matches and scoring twice.

He has also amassed more than 60 caps for the All Whites since making his debut in 2008, having previously represented New Zealand at under-17 and under-20 level.

> 2023-24 season

Kosta Barbarouses had an outstanding campaign, winning the club’s golden boot, media player of the year, and player of the year awards.

After going scoreless for the first matches of the A-League season, Barbarouses exploded into life, scoring eight goals in his next five matches.

His 13th goal of the season, against Macarthur on the final day of the regular season, saw him overtake Shane Smeltz as the most prolific Kiwi striker in A-League history with 93 goals.

He also added five assists, drawing level with Craig Goodwin’s all-time A-League assist record. This included setting up Oskar Zawada’s dramatic equaliser in the semi-final against Melbourne Victory.

His form was rewarded with a callup to the All Whites’ OFC Nations Cup squad, where he captained New Zealand for the first time and scored three goals in the competition.

Barbarouses was also selected as a substitute in the PFA A-League Men’s team of the season.