View source for William Carter

{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix   = {{wp|Field Marshal}} {{wp|Sir}}
| name               = William Carter
| honorific_suffix   = {{wp|Order of the British Empire|GBE}} {{wp|Royal Victorian Order|GCWO}} {{wp|Royal Guelphic Order|GCH}} {{wp|Presidential Medal of Freedom|PMF}}
| image              = WCMU2.png
| image_upright      = 
| landscape          = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank -->
| alt                = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption            = 
| pronunciation      = 
| birth_name         = William Robert Geoffrey Thomas Carter
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1979|05|11}}
| birth_place        = {{wp|Los Angeles}}, {{wp|California}}, {{wp|United States}}
| baptised           = <!-- will not display if birth_date is entered -->
| disappeared_date   = <!-- {{Disappeared date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (disappeared date then birth date) -->
| disappeared_place  = 
| disappeared_status = 
| death_date         = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (enter DEATH date then BIRTH date (e.g., ...|1967|8|31|1908|2|28}} use both this parameter and |birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) -->
| death_place        = 
| death_cause        = <!--should only be included when the cause of death has significance for the subject's notability-->
| body_discovered    = 
| resting_place      = 
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} -->
| burial_place       = <!-- may be used instead of resting_place and resting_place_coordinates (displays "Burial place" as label) -->
| burial_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} -->
| monuments          = 
| nationality        = {{hlist|{{wp|British}}|{{wp|American}}}}

| alma_mater         = {{wp|UCLA|University of California, Los Angeles}} ({{wp|BSS}})<br/>{{wp|University of Manchester}} ({{wp|MSS}})
| occupation         = {{hlist|Footballer|Manager|Pundit}}
| height             = 6 ft 2 in
| spouse             = {{marriage|{{wp|Anne Hathaway}}|12 November 2012}}
| partner            = {{wp|Gisele Bündchen}} (2004 - 2007)
| children           = {{hlist|William|Anne|Andy|John}}
| parents            = <!-- overrides mother and father parameters -->
| mother             = {{wp|Lynda Carter}}
| father             = [[Thomas, King of the British|King Thomas]]
| relatives          = {{hlist|{{wp|Steffi Graf}}|{{wp|Jodie Foster}}}} (aunt-in-laws)<br/>{{hlist|{{wp|Georgia May Jagger}}|[[Corey Rodman]]|{{wp|Gracie Abrams}}}} (cousins)<br/>{{hlist|{{wp|Henry Cavill}}|{{wp|Jack Schlossberg|Jack Shand}}}} (brother-in-laws)<br/>{{wp|Patrick Schwarzenegger}} (cousin-in-law)
| module = 
  {{Infobox football biography | embed=yes
|height         = 
|position       = {{wp|forward (association football)|Forward}}
|youthyears1    = 1992 - 1997
|youthclubs1    = {{wp|IMG Academy}}
|years1         = 1997 - 1999
|clubs1         = {{wp|LA Galaxy}}
|caps1          = 83
|goals1         = 68
|years2         = 1999 - 2003
|clubs2         = {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}}
|caps2          = 125
|goals2         = 75
|years3         = 2004 - 2010
|clubs3         = {{wp|Manchester United}}
|caps3          = 192
|goals3         = 225
|years4         = 2010 - 2019
|clubs4         = {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}
|caps4          = 302
|goals4         = 328
|totalcaps      = 702
|totalgoals     = 696
|nationalyears1 = 1999 - 2000
|nationalteam1  = {{wp|United States men's national under-20 soccer team|United States U20}}
|nationalcaps1  = 7
|nationalgoals1 = 12
|nationalyears2 = 2000 - 2003
|nationalteam2  = {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States}}
|nationalcaps2  = 64
|nationalgoals2 = 68
|nationalyears3 = 2004 - 2014
|nationalteam3  = {{wp|England national football team|England}}
|nationalcaps3  = 141
|nationalgoals3 = 171
|nationalyears4 = 2012
|nationalteam4  = {{wp|Great Britain men's Olympic football team|Great Britain}}
|nationalcaps4  = 6
|nationalgoals4 = 9
|manageryears1 = 2019 - 2023
|managerclubs1 = {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's {{wp|Association football|football}}}}
{{Medal|Country|{{fb|ENG}} and {{fb|US}}}}
{{Medal|Comp|{{wp|FIFA World Cup}}}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup|2002 South Korea-Japan}}|}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup|2006 Germany}}|}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2010 FIFA World Cup|2010 South Africa}}|}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2014 FIFA World Cup|2014 Brazil}}|}}
{{Medal|Comp|{{wp|UEFA European Championship}}}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|UEFA Euro 2008|2008 Austria–Switzerland}}|}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|UEFA Euro 2012|2012 Poland–Ukraine}}|}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|UEFA Euro 2016|2016 France}}|}}
{{Medal|Comp|{{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}}}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2001 FIFA Confederations Cup|2001 South Korea-Japan}}|}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2003 FIFA Confederations Cup|2003 France}}|}}
{{Medal|Comp|{{wp|CONCACAF Gold Cup}}}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2000 United States}}|}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2002 United States}}|}}
{{Medal|Comp|{{wp|FIFA U-20 World Cup}}}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|1999 FIFA World Youth Championship|1999 Nigeria}}|}}
{{Medal|Country|{{fb|GBR}}}}
{{Medal|Comp|{{wp|Football at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games}}}}
{{Medal|Gold|{{wp|2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London}}|}}
}}
}}
{{wp|Field Marshal}} '''Sir William Robert Geoffrey Thomas Carter''' <small>{{wp|Order of the British Empire|GBE}} {{wp|Royal Victorian Order|GCWO}} {{wp|Royal Guelphic Order|GCH}} {{wp|Presidential Medal of Freedom|PMF}}</small> (born 11 May 1979) is an {{wp|American}}-{{wp|English}} football pundit, former football manager and player. Known for his explosive pace, exceptional playmaking abilities, strong link-up play, and formidable goalscoring prowess, Carter is generally regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time and among the most complete forwards in football. Popularly nicknamed "The King of Kings", with a total of 93 senior titles to his name, Carter is the most decorated player in football history along with being one of the few players to have made over 1,000 professional career appearances as well as the only player to have scored over 1,000 official senior career goals for club and country, making him the highest goalscorer of all time with 1,298 goals in total. In 2004, Carter was named by {{wp|Pelé}} in the {{wp|FIFA 100}} list of the world's greatest living footballers, becoming the only male {{wp|American}} player on the list. Prior to the discontinuation of the {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}} and the subsequent introduction of the {{wp|UEFA Nations League}}, Carter, along with longtime compatriot {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Wayne Rooney}}, are the only two footballers to have won all the available titles at both club and international levels. Moreover, he is also the only player to have achieved a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} with three different clubs, namely with {{wp|Manchester United}}, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, and {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, for which he is the only one to have done so as both a player and a manager. With fifteen awards in total, Carter is the record holder for the most {{wp|Ballon d'Or}} wins and is one of only eight footballers in history to have won the {{wp|FIFA World Cup}}, {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, and the {{wp|Ballon d'Or}}, a feat referred to by Carter himself as the "great treble".

The only son of actress {{wp|Lynda Carter}} and [[Thomas, King of the British|King Thomas]], Carter joined {{wp|IMG Academy}} at the age of thirteen. After a five-year period, at the age of eighteen, he was selected by {{wp|Major League Soccer}} side {{wp|LA Galaxy}}, with whom he went on to spend three seasons, during which he won both the {{wp|MLS Cup}} and the {{wp|CONCACAF Champions Cup}} once, before moving to the {{wp|Bundesliga}} side {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}} for a {{wp|Major League Soccer}} record of $65 million, an amount that was also an unbroken {{wp|Bundesliga}} record for two decades long. In his four seasons with {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}}, despite the club's relatively modest stature, Carter otherwise enjoyed outsized success, winning both the {{wp|Bundesliga}} and the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} in his debut season, both of which he successfully went on to defend throughout the next two seasons before a disastrous fourth and final season saw him depart the club in favour of a year-long sabbatical. With 147 goals scored across all competitions, Carter is currently ranked third in the club's all-time goalscorers list and, in the years that followed his departure, continues to be remembered as a central figure behind the club's extraordinary but short-lived success at the turn of the century.  

In 2003, following a year-long temporary break, Carter joined {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|Manchester United}} on a six-year contract. With the club, he went on to achieve unprecedented success, winning the {{wp|Premier League}} five seasons in a row, the {{wp|FA Cup}}, {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}}, and {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} thrice, the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} four times, and the {{wp|EFL Cup}} a total of five times. In this, he notably helped {{wp|Manchester United}} to a historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} in the 2008-09 season in a first for a {{wp|European}} and {{wp|English}} club during which he became the only player in {{wp|Premier League}} history to score seven goals and five goals in one half in a record 10-0 win over {{wp|Fulham F.C.|Fulham}}. With a total of 225 goals in 192 appearances, Carter is the leading all-time goalscorer for {{wp|Manchester United}} and the {{wp|Premier League}}'s joint-second-highest goalscorer alongside {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} and behind {{wp|Alan Shearer}}. On the other hand, Carter previously held the record for the most goals scored in a {{wp|Premier League}} season with 41 goals, a record later broken by {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Richard]]. Considered to be among {{wp|Manchester United}}'s and the {{wp|Premier League}}'s best strikers of all time, Carter was later inducted into the {{wp|Premier League Hall of Fame}} in 2021.

In 2010, Carter signed for {{wp|La Liga}} side {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} for a then world-record transfer fee of £82.5 million, becoming one of the few players to have broken the world record twice. With the club, he went on to win the {{wp|La Liga}} six times in a row, the {{wp|Copa del Rey}} four times, the {{wp|Supercopa de España}} seven times in a row, the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}}, and the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} eight times in a row, and the {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} once during which he helped the club to three separate {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuples}}. Considered to be the most successful player in the {{wp|Atlético Madrid|club}}'s history, along with {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, Carter is considered an instrumental figure in the club's revival amidst an extended period of {{wp|Real Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} dominance in the {{wp|La Liga}} to become a major force or a "third power" against the two clubs and is thus considered by most of the club's faithful to be a cult hero. With 328 goals scored in 302 appearances, Carter is the leading all-time goalscorer for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} along with being {{wp|La Liga}}'s second-highest all-time top scorer behind {{wp|Lionel Messi}} and ahead of {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} and its second-highest all-time top assister behind only {{wp|Lionel Messi}}. 

On the international level, Carter began his career via a brief stint with the {{wp|United States men's national under-20 soccer team|United States under-20 national team}}, with whom he won the {{wp|1999 FIFA World Youth Championship}} by scoring the lone winning goal in the final against {{wp|Japan}}. Following this, Carter served as captain of the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|senior team}} and achieved much success in the process, winning the {{wp|2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2000}} and {{wp|2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2002}} {{wp|CONCACAF Gold Cup|CONCACAF Gold Cups}}, the {{wp|2001 FIFA Confederations Cup|2001}} and {{wp|2003 FIFA Confederations Cup|2003}} {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup|FIFA Confederations Cups}}, and most notably the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} where Carter famously scored in a 5-0 win against {{wp|Brazil}} in the final, thereby winning the first and only {{wp|FIFA World Cup}} title for the {{wp|United States}}. 

In 2003, Carter departed the {{wp|United States}}, and in the following year, joined the {{wp|England national football team|England national team}}, which he subsequently led to a historic victory at the {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup}} where a 5-2 win over {{wp|Italy}} in the finals secured {{wp|England national football team|England}} their first {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} title in forty years since their first title back in {{wp|1966 FIFA World Cup|1966}}. Following this, Carter went on to achieve further back-to-back success with {{wp|England national football team|England}}, winning their first-ever {{wp|UEFA European Championship}} title in {{wp|UEFA Euro 2008|2008}} by defeating {{wp|Germany}} 4-2 in the finals, as well as a second consecutive {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} title in {{wp|2010 FIFA World Cup|2010}} via a 5-0 win over the {{wp|Netherlands}}, followed by a second consecutive {{wp|UEFA European Championship|European Championship}} win in {{wp|UEFA Euro 2012|2012}} in which Carter contributed a hat-trick to deliver a 4-2 victory over {{wp|Spain}} in the finals. In {{wp|2014 FIFA World Cup|2014}}, Carter went on to deliver a record-breaking third consecutive {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} title for {{wp|England national football team|England}} via a 4-2 win on penalties against {{wp|Argentina}} and a similarly record-breaking third consecutive {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}} title in {{wp|UEFA Euro 2016|2016}} by defeating {{wp|Portugal}} 4-1, thereby contributing to the current two-decades-long unbeaten streak enjoyed by {{wp|England national football team|England}} in both tournaments. In addition to his international stints with the {{wp|United States}} and {{wp|England national football team|England}}, Carter also briefly captained the {{wp|Great Britain men's Olympic football team|Great Britain national football team}} at the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}} where he successfully led them to a 2-0 win over {{wp|Mexico}} in the finals, becoming one of only two players alongside {{wp|Daniel Sturridge}} to have achieved a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}}, {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}}, and {{wp|Olympic Games}} treble, an honour that he also shares as one of only two captains, male or female, alongside {{wp|England women's national football team|England Women}}'s {{wp|Leah Williamson}}.

Having made a total of 141 appearances, Carter is the second-most-capped {{wp|England national football team|England}} player behind his longtime teammate {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} and ahead of another longtime teammate {{wp|Steven Gerrard}} while otherwise being its leading goalscorer with 171 goals. Similarly, although not necessarily the {{wp|United States}}' most capped player, having made only 64 appearances in total, Carter is the country's all-time goalscorer with 68 goals, followed only by {{wp|Landon Donovan}} and {{wp|Clint Dempsey}} jointly in second place. Among others, Carter is also the first and only player to win a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} title with two different countries as well as the first and only one of two alongside {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} to win four {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cups}}. Moreover, Carter is the second player after {{wp|Geoff Hurst}} to have scored a hat-trick in a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} final, the second after {{wp|Luis Monti}} to have played in a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} final with two different countries, and one of only three alongside {{wp|George Best}} and [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Richard]] to have scored a hat-trick in a {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}} final. In addition, Carter is the record holder for the most goals scored in both the {{wp|FIFA World Cup}} and the {{wp|UEFA European Championship}} with forty and forty-one goals respectively, as well as for the most matches played at the {{wp|FIFA World Cup}} with a total of twenty-eight matches played from 2002 to 2014, having not missed a single match ever. With a total of 239 goals scored on the international level, Carter is the world's all-time leader for international goals and was formerly the all-time leader for international appearances with 205 appearances until surpassed by {{wp|Portugal}}'s {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}}. 

Around November 2019, Carter was appointed head coach of {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, succeeding {{wp|Mauricio Pochettino}} after an initial poor start to the 2019-20 season. Initially appointed on an interim basis, Carter subsequently won the club's first {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title in his debut season while also achieving a second-place finish in the league, thereby leading him to become the club's full-time manager over the next three seasons that all proved considerably successful as Carter helped the club to two further {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} titles, back-to-back {{wp|Premier League}} and {{wp|FA Cup}} titles, and one {{wp|EFL Cup}} title, becoming the first and only {{wp|English}} and {{wp|American}} manager to ever win the {{wp|Premier League}} since its inception, the first and only one to do so consecutively, as well as one of five {{wp|English}} and the only {{wp|American}} manager to have won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}. In this, during the 2021-22 season, consecutive victories over {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} in the {{wp|FA Cup}}, {{wp|EFL Cup}}, and {{wp|FA Community Shield|William Carter Shield}}, as well as a triumph over {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} become the second {{wp|English}} and third {{wp|European}} club to achieve a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}}, thereby making Carter himself the latest of three managers to have achieved it after his former managers {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Alex Ferguson}} and {{wp|Diego Simeone}}. A self-professed "coach of the underdogs", Carter, considered widely to be a "miracle worker" due to the successes that he achieved in the face of much stronger opponents, has received a number of honours and awards as head coach, including {{wp|UEFA Men's Coach of the Year Award}}, {{wp|LMA Manager of the Year}}, {{wp|The Best FIFA Men's Coach}}, {{wp|Onze d'Or Coach of the Year}}, and {{wp|IFFHS World's Best Club Coach}}, all of which were won for three consecutive years. At 42 years old, Carter was the joint-youngest manager with {{wp|José Mourinho}} to have won the {{wp|Premier League}}, a record later broken by {{wp|Mikel Arteta}}, but is otherwise tied with both {{wp|José Mourinho|Mourinho}} and {{wp|Mikel Arteta|Arteta}} for the youngest manager to have won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} at 41 years old. Moreover, together with {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Alex Ferguson}} and {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, his two former managers, Carter is just one of three managers to have won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} thrice in a row, one of only two {{wp|English}} managers alongside {{wp|Bob Paisley}} to have won it thrice and the one with the most {{wp|European}} titles as both player and manager with a current total of eighteen titles, aside from which, with 281 goals scored, Carter is also the leading all-time goalscorer in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}.

Since retiring from professional football, Carter has served as president of {{wp|The Football Association}} as well as an honorary advisor to the {{wp|Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport}}. In addition, Carter has also begun a career in the media as a pundit and sports analyst with his current role as a presenter for the {{wp|BBC One}} program ''{{wp|Match of the Day}}''. In August 2024, he was appointed deputy chairman of the {{wp|National Football League}} franchise {{wp|New England Patriots}}, the most successful {{wp|American football}} team owned by his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]], whom he is expected to eventually succeed as chairman in the future. In 2019, he was made an honorary {{wp|field marshal}} by the {{wp|British Army}}, becoming the first and only former professional athlete to be accorded such an honour. Since 2014, Carter has been married to {{wp|American}} actress {{wp|Anne Hathaway}}, with whom he has four children. In addition, Carter is the older brother of journalist and politician {{wp|Dame}} [[Jacqueline Carter]], who currently serves as {{wp|Leader of the Liberal Democrats}} and {{wp|Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of the Opposition}}, and professional footballer [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Prince Richard]] who captains the {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and also plays for {{wp|England national football team|England}}.

As one of the most well-known and marketable football icons of his generation, Carter has embarked on a string of product endorsements since his retirement with the most notable instance being {{wp|Adidas}}'s {{wp|King Carter}} line of sneakers that were introduced in 2002 to massive commercial success and are often considered as a direct rival to {{wp|Nike}}'s {{wp|Air Jordans}} named after legendary basketball player {{wp|Michael Jordan}}. In addition, he has also appeared in shows including the {{wp|Apple TV+}} sports comedy series ''{{wp|Ted Lasso}}'' and the {{wp|Netflix}} documentaries ''{{wp|The June 30th Miracle: Ten Years On}}'' and ''{{wp|1966: The Making of a Dynasty}}''. Moreover, he was also featured in {{wp|Amazon Prime Video}}'s ''{{wp|All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur}}'' and its subsequent follow-up ''{{wp|The Spursy Fantasy}}''. Consequently, his global popularity, coupled with his extraordinary on-pitch success unmatched by any of his contemporaries, led {{wp|BBC News}} to dub him "football's great titan" while other media outlets have generally noted his "larger-than-life" fame and persona, both of which, some have argued, are comparable to or even greater than those of fellow {{wp|American}} superstar athletes {{wp|Michael Jordan}} and {{wp|Tiger Woods}}.

==Early Life==
[[File:Lynda Carter2 (cropped).jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|American}} actress {{wp|Lynda Carter}}, best known for her role in the live-action television series {{wp|Wonder Woman (TV series)|''Wonder Woman''}} where she played the {{wp|Wonder Woman|titular character}}. Following her relationship with [[Thomas, King of the British|Thomas]], {{wp|Lynda Carter|Carter}} remarried to the {{wp|American}} lawyer {{wp|Robert A. Altman}}, with whom she had two further children.]]
Born William Robert Geoffrey Thomas Carter on 11 May 1979, Carter was the oldest of two children of actress {{wp|Lynda Carter}} and the heir to the {{wp|British}} throne [[Thomas, King of the British|Prince Thomas]]. Having been born out of wedlock and from a largely secretive romantic affair between his parents, Carter, unlike his later half-siblings, was never officially made a prince, and therefore, despite being the firstborn son and a biological descendant of a member of the {{wp|British royal family}}, was never included in the {{wp|British}} line of succession to the throne. Reportedly named William after his paternal great-grandfather {{wp|William Bacall}}, Carter, who officially took his {{wp|Lynda Carter|mother}}'s surname, was given three middle names with one honouring his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]] while the other two honour the legendary {{wp|English}} footballers {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Bobby Charlton}}, one of {{wp|Manchester United}}'s greatest players, and {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Geoff Hurst}} who gained fame as the first player to score a hat-trick in a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} final during {{wp|England national football team|England}}'s 4-2 win over {{wp|Germany}} at the {{wp|1966 FIFA World Cup Final}}.

Early on, his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]]'s native {{wp|English}} roots, coupled with the {{wp|United Kingdom}} having football as its most popular sport, consequently led a young Carter to be exposed to the sport at a rather early age. In a later interview, Carter recounted growing up watching and studying the likes of {{wp|Pelé}}, {{wp|Bobby Charlton}}, {{wp|George Best}}, and {{wp|Johan Cruyff}}, famous footballing figures whose respective playing styles were tentatively studied by Carter by watching exclusive clips provided by his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]]. In addition to this, it was also said that Carter's [[Thomas, King of the British|father]] even had a miniature football field set up in the family's backyard where Carter often practiced and perfected his goalscoring technique with the added difficulty of wooden obstacles deliberately placed to frustrate him similar to real-life defenders in professional football. However, despite his deep-seated interest in {{wp|football}}, from time to time, Carter also developed an interest in other types of sports, including {{wp|swimming}}, {{wp|golf}}, and {{wp|American football}} where he briefly played as a {{wp|quarterback}} with some success before ultimately quitting the sport after reportedly finding it "too physical" from the constant tackles and headbutts. 

When Carter was around sixteen years old, amidst pressure upon his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]] to marry an eligible woman in order to secure the future of the {{wp|British}} monarchy, and the fact that Carter's mother {{wp|Lynda Carter}} was, by virtue of her ex-husband, the actor {{wp|Roger Davis (television actor)|Roger Davis}} still being alive at the time, therefore canonically ineligible to marry her beloved romantic partner, the small family of four was thus met with an unexpected setback when [[Thomas, King of the British|Thomas]] later departed the family, albeit in a heavily reluctant manner, in order to marry the {{wp|American}} supermodel {{wp|Christy Turlington}}, who the former had been seeing for some time and who was deemed a prospective candidate as a legitimate wife, given that unlike {{wp|Lynda Carter|Carter}}, the former had never been divorced before, a condition that was reportedly the very obstacle to a potential marriage between Thomas himself and his then-romantic partner. Evidently, according to Carter himself, their [[Thomas, King of the British|father]]'s departure was "one of the most difficult things in my life and one that tested our small family of four greatly with something that we could probably not have anticipated". Moreover, it was said that actress {{wp|Lynda Carter}} herself later cried for "days on end" in the days following her romantic partner's departure, although the presence of and support from her two children otherwise proved a comforting counterbalance to the actress's grievances. Thus, for almost the next ten years or so, the now family of three continued to live in relative obscurity in {{wp|Los Angeles}}, {{wp|California}}, where the family had already made their home for a few years prior to [[Thomas, King of the British|Thomas]]' departure.

In the years since their romance officially came to an end, Carter's mother {{wp|Lynda Carter|Lynda}} later remarried to the {{wp|American}} lawyer {{wp|Robert A. Altman}} who Carter later described as a "kind and very caring stepfather" while asserting that "absolutely no one will ever come to replace my own [[Thomas, King of the British|biological father]]", adding that despite the two enjoying a relatively cordial relationship, both Carter and his [[Jacqueline Carter|sister]] were still mostly emotionally attached to their biological father, with whom the two longed on reuniting in the nearby future. In this, Carter sought to use his own football career as a means to do so by hopefully making himself noticeable in the eyes of major {{wp|European}} football clubs, especially {{wp|Manchester United}}, a club that he had supported since childhood and which would crucially allow him to move to {{wp|England national football team|England}} where his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]] mainly resides. Later, in February 2021, Carter's stepfather {{wp|Robert A. Altman}} passed away at the age of seventy-three from a rare type of {{wp|leukemia}}, leaving behind his two children with his wife, namely Carter's half-siblings James and Jessica Altman, both of whom were later formally adopted by Carter's father [[Thomas, King of the British|King Thomas]] in light of their {{wp|Robert A. Altman|father}}'s passing. During a 2019 interview with {{wp|BBC News}}, Carter revealed that for several years as a teenager, in order to seemingly "clear" any ambiguity regarding his paternity, his name was frequently written by his {{wp|Lynda Carter|mother}} as "William Altman", thereby implying that, on paper, he is the actress's child by her {{wp|Robert A. Altman|husband}} despite the reality being the opposite, stating, ''"For understandable reasons, my mom can't just go around telling people that my dad is the king of a country yet people are obviously going to know who my father is. Ultimately, when my stepfather came along and the two had children afterward, it gave my mom the perfect answer to those questions asking incessantly about the father of her two eldest children, who, in turn, could finally have some peace of mind after a long time"''.

==Club Career==
===LA Galaxy (1992 - 1999)===
====Youth Prospect====
[[File:Bradenton, Florida.jpg|200px|thumb|right|An aerial view of the {{wp|IMG Academy}} in {{wp|Bradenton, Florida}}, where Carter spent his formative years prior to becoming a professional footballer.]]
Having already shown a deep-seated interest in football at a rather young age, at thirteen, Carter was enrolled by his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]] at the {{wp|IMG Academy}} in {{wp|Bradenton, Florida|Bradenton}}, {{wp|Florida}}, one of the country's most well-known sports academy that was first established in 1978. Early on, having quickly earned a reputation as a "hardworking" and "tenacious" youth prospect, Carter was able to quickly impress both his teammates and the officials at the academy, during which he quickly gained a reputation for an excellent playing style as well as a strong sense of discipline, with one of Carter's former educators at the academy later recounting the former as a "very dutiful" and "extremely hardworking" player while another described the {{wp|California}}-born teenager as "someone who always wants to achieve all that he could and who also doesn't easily give up in doing so at first sight of defeat". Eventually, at eighteen years old, Carter was finally granted a much-awaited senior soccer career when he was then chosen for {{wp|LA Galaxy}} in just the second season of {{wp|Major League Soccer}}. 

====Senior Team====
Immediately after he was drafted by {{wp|LA Galaxy}}, Carter soon made his debut in the club's opening match for the 1997 season, where they faced {{wp|D.C. United}} at home. However, despite being included in the starting lineup, Carter did not end up scoring his first goal yet as {{wp|Major League Soccer}} rules at the time resulted in {{wp|LA Galaxy}} losing 2-3 to their opponents in a penalty shootout held to resolve the 0-0 draw. Then, after failing to find the net throughout the next few matches, on May 2nd, Carter scored his first goal for the club in a 1-2 loss once again to {{wp|D.C. United}}. Following this, on May 10th, Carter scored his first brace for the club to deliver a resounding 2-1 victory over {{wp|Sporting Kansas City}}, a feat that he promptly followed up on with another brace in the following match to break a 0-0 deadlock against {{wp|San Jose Earthquake}} and mark a second consecutive victory for the club. Soon enough, on May 25th, in a dominant 4-0 win over {{wp|Columbus Crew}} at home ground, Carter went on to score his first-ever hat-trick for {{wp|LA Galaxy}} with a second hat-trick subsequently coming on June 21st where he scored his third goal in the 67th minute to mark a stunning 4-2 victory over the {{wp|Colorado Rapids}}. Moreover, after scoring another brace in a 5-0 win over {{wp|FC Dallas}}, Carter soon marked his third hat-trick for the club, scoring thrice in a 4-2 win over {{wp|Columbus Crew}} at home once again as a few further goals from Carter followed over the later stage of the season where at season's end, owing to Carter's standout performance with a total of twenty-one goals scored, the highest for that season, {{wp|LA Galaxy}} managed to top the Eastern Conference and, in turn, face {{wp|Dallas Burn}} who ultimately bested them over the course of two legs, thereby eliminating the club at the quarter-finals of the ensuing playoff phase. In the meantime, Carter also scored his first goal in the {{wp|CONCACAF Champions Cup}}, namely in a 5-1 win over the {{wp|Mexican}} club {{wp|Santos Laguna}} to advance to the quarter-finals where a brace from Carter saw {{wp|LA Galaxy}} make quick work of the [[West Indies]] club {{wp|United Petrotrin}} with a dominant 3-0 win, followed by another two goals from Carter that helped them achieve a similar 3-0 win over rivals {{wp|D.C. United}}. However, in facing the {{wp|Mexican}} side {{wp|Cruz Azul}} in the final, despite another goal from their young star, {{wp|LA Galaxy}} were narrowly defeated 4-5 by their superior {{wp|Mexican}} opponents, thereby denying Carter a continental title in his first season.

[[File:PeleNYC.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The {{wp|Brazilian}} football legend {{wp|Pelé}} playing for the now-defunct {{wp|North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League}} club {{wp|New York Cosmos (1970–1985)|New York Cosmos}}. His two-year presence at the club has been widely attributed to the sudden surge in popularity for soccer in the {{wp|United States}} around the late 1970s.]]
In his second season, Carter started off with a brace in the opening match, which {{wp|LA Galaxy}} won 5-3 against {{wp|San Jose Earthquake}}. Then, somewhat remarkably, the next two matches saw Carter score two goals each, thereby leading to dominant victories over {{wp|New York Red Bulls}} and {{wp|Colorado Rapids}}, with the fourth match seeing Carter score once more against the {{wp|New York Red Bulls}} to seal a 4-2 win at the latter side's home ground. Then, on May 30th, after scoring twice ten days earlier to draw 2-2 away with {{wp|Chicago Fire}}, which the club ended up losing to in the ensuing penalty shootout, Carter scored his first hat-trick of the season to mark a dominant 4-1 home win over {{wp|Chicago Fire}} in apparent revenge for their earlier defeat with the ensuing match seeing Carter score once to contribute to an overwhelming 9-1 win over {{wp|Dallas Burn}} at their own ground. Then, on August 29th, Carter scored his second hat-trick of the season to seal a dramatic 3-3 draw against {{wp|Columbus Crew}} although the ensuing penalty shootout saw {{wp|LA Galaxy}} bested by their opponents once again. Nonetheless, the last few matches of the season saw Carter put on a performance described by {{wp|ESPN}} as "inexplicably dominant", scoring two goals each to mark dominant 5-0 and 8-3 wins over {{wp|Dallas Burn}} and {{wp|Miami Fushion}} and two consecutive hat-tricks to destroy {{wp|San Jose Earthquake}} and {{wp|Chicago Fire}} 4-1 and 4-0 respectively in their last two matches of the season. Following this, Carter later scored two crucial goals to help {{wp|LA Galaxy}} narrowly defeat {{wp|Chicago Fire}} 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals, thereby bringing the club further to the finals where Carter assisted twice in a dramatic 3-2 victory over rivals {{wp|D.C. United}}, thereby winning the {{wp|MLS Cup}} for the first time. Meanwhile, having qualified for that year's edition of the{{wp|CONCACAF Champions Cup}} via their dominant performance the previous season, {{wp|LA Galaxy}} began their renewed challenge for the title with a dominant 5-0 win over the [[West Indies]] club {{wp|Joe Public}} in the quarter-finals but not before being eliminated by the {{wp|Mexican}} club and eventual runners-up {{wp|Club León|León}} in a 1-3 defeat at the semi-finals, effectively ending their challenge rather prematurely.

In his third and final season, Carter began rather promisingly, scoring a total of three goals in the first five matches and helping {{wp|LA Galaxy}} to wins in the process over {{wp|Colorado Rapids}}, {{wp|San Jose Earthquake}}, and {{wp|Chicago Fire}} where a brace from Carter resulted in a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory by {{wp|LA Galaxy}}. Then, after scoring a brace on May 8th that saw {{wp|LA Galaxy}} defeat {{wp|Sporting Kansas City}} 3-2 in a dramatic fashion, Carter also scored a hat-trick in a dominant 4-1 win over {{wp|D.C. United}} on June 19th, a feat promptly followed by two goals scored just a week later in a similarly dominant 6-2 win over {{wp|Tampa Bay Mutiny}}. Soon enough, during the later stage of the season, in his last few matches for the club, Carter earned further acclaim with another brace in a 3-0 win at home over {{wp|Chicago Fire}}, followed by a hat-trick on September 29th where {{wp|LA Galaxy}} mounted a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over {{wp|D.C. United}} which also proved to be his last few goals for the club as Carter finished the season with nineteen goals in thirty appearances, an amount just one digit higher than the eighteen goals jointly scored by {{wp|Stern John}}, {{wp|Roy Lassiter}}, and {{wp|Jason Kreis}}. Meanwhile, in their debut at the {{wp|U.S. Open Cup}} that season, despite scoring a hat-trick early on to mark a dominant 6-2 win for {{wp|LA Galaxy}} over {{wp|San Diego Flash}} in the third round, Carter otherwise failed to influence the final outcome in the quarter-finals where they were subsequently defeated by {{wp|Columbus Crew}} 1-3. Separately, in the {{wp|CONCACAF Champions Cup}}, which they qualified for by virtue of their {{wp|MLS Cup}} triumph, Carter began with a hat-trick in the quarter-finals that saw {{wp|LA Galaxy}} comfortably demolish {{wp|Joe Public}} once again by 4-0, thereby leading them to the semi-finals where an ensuing 1-1 draw against {{wp|Liga Deportiva Alajuelense|Alajuelense}} resulted in a penalty shootout that {{wp|LA Galaxy}} won 3-1 in order to reach the finals where a lone goal from Carter proved the crucial difference, allowing {{wp|LA Galaxy}} to narrowly defeat the {{wp|Mexican}} club {{wp|Club Necaxa|Necaxa}} 2-1 and thus secure their first-ever continental title.

Amidst a steady future at the club, in the aftermath of the 1999 season, Carter announced his sudden departure from the club by revealing that he had accepted a contract from the {{wp|Bundesliga}} club {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}} after {{wp|Christoph Daum}}, whose maiden season as the club's head coach in 1996 had ended rather promisingly, chose to acquire Carter's services for the club in light of his standout performance that year at the {{wp|1999 FIFA World Youth Championship}} where he scored the winning goal in the final against {{wp|Japan}}. Consequently, it was later announced that {{wp|LA Galaxy}} was paid $65 million for the {{wp|Los Angeles}}-born star, a record that still holds to this day for {{wp|Major League Soccer}} and which also remained unbroken in the {{wp|Bundesliga}} for roughly two decades prior to the roughly $73 million amount paid for {{wp|Matthijs de Ligt}} by {{wp|Bayern Munich}}.

===Bayer 04 Leverkusen (1999 - 2003)===
====Early Years====
To that end, after undergoing the preseason period with the club, Carter soon made his debut on 13 August 1999 in the opening match against {{wp|MSV Duisburg}} where as a member of the starting lineup alongside {{wp|Ulf Kirsten}} and the highly-regarded {{wp|Michael Ballack}}, Carter made an immediate impact with a brace in just thirty minutes to deliver a 4-2 victory over their opponents. Then, despite missing out on a chance to score against the {{wp|German}} heavyweights {{wp|Bayern Munich}} in the following match, on August 28th, Carter wasted no time securing his first hat-trick with the club in a 6-1 away win over {{wp|VfB Stuttgart}}. Then, on October 2nd, Carter was met with much praise for a brace that secured a decisive 3-3 draw against {{wp|VfL Wolfsburg}} as Carter's second hat-trick on October 30th saw the club demolish {{wp|TSV 1860 Munich|1860 Munich}} 4-1 with relative ease. However, after scoring twice to help {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}} to a 4-2 victory over {{wp|Hamburger SV}}, Carter otherwise failed to score a single goal in the club's ensuing 1-4 loss to {{wp|Bayern Munich}} although this was promptly avenged with Carter notably scoring another hat-trick on March 25th to a deliver a 4-1 victory over {{wp|SC Freiburg}}, a feat that was followed with another hat-trick in a dominant 7-1 win over {{wp|Eintracht Frankfurt}} on the penultimate day and culminating in the club's historic first-ever {{wp|Bundesliga}} title after securing a record 84 points over runners-up {{wp|Bayern Munich}}. Meanwhile, after scoring two consecutive hat-tricks in his first {{wp|DFL-Ligapokal}} season, thereby defeating {{wp|1. FC Kaiserslautern}} and {{wp|SV Werder Bremen|Werder Bremen}} 6-1 and 4-2 respectively, Carter went on to score a third consecutive hat-trick in the final to mark a dramatic 4-3 win over two-time defending champions {{wp|Bayern Munich}}, thereby also delivering the club's first-ever {{wp|DFL-Ligapokal}} title. Otherwise, after helping {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}} progress beyond the first group stage in his debut {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} season, during which he scored a hat-trick against {{wp|Ukrainian}} side {{wp|Dynamo Kyiv}} and a tiebreaking goal against the {{wp|Italian}} club {{wp|SS Lazio}} in the group stages, Carter faced his future and childhood club {{wp|Manchester United}} in the quarter-finals where a brace from the {{wp|American}}, coupled with goals from teammates {{wp|Ulf Kirsten}} and {{wp|Michael Ballack}}, saw them narrowly defeat the reigning champions 4-3 on aggregate to then face local heavyweights {{wp|Bayern Munich}} in the semi-finals where a second-leg hat-trick from Carter translated to a similarly dramatic 6-4 victory over their rivals and, in turn, their first-ever appearance in a {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} final where they faced the {{wp|Spanish}} side {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}} where two goals from Carter proved decisive in handing the {{wp|German}} club their first-ever {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title, an unexpected yet remarkable feat that, in turn, drastically boosted Carter from a relatively unknown star to a world-famous talent overnight.

In his second season with the {{wp|German}} club, hot on the heels of last season's extraordinary success, Carter began the season somewhat promisingly, scoring a hat-trick on the opening day to mark a dominant 5-0 win over {{wp|VfL Wolfsburg}} although this was immediately followed by a crushing 1-4 defeat to {{wp|VfB Stuttgart}}. Nonetheless, on September 16th, Carter avenged the loss by scoring once to draw 2-2 with {{wp|FC Hansa Rostock|Hansa Rostock}}, followed by a tiebreaking goal against {{wp|SV Werder Bremen|Werder Bremen}} on October 14th and a similar one against {{wp|FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04}} on October 28th. Then, Carter went on to have a rather productive December, scoring twice in a 6-0 win over {{wp|Hertha BSC}} and once in a decisive 3-3 draw against {{wp|VfL Bochum}}. Following this, a subsequent hat-trick against {{wp|SpVgg Unterhaching|Unterhaching}} and goals against {{wp|Borussia Dortmund}} and {{wp|Hamburger SV}} saw Carter's final 21-goal tally deliver {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}}'s second straight {{wp|Bundesliga}} title as the club racked up a total of 67 points, just four points behind {{wp|Bayern Munich}}. In the midst of this, while {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen|Leverkusen}} was denied a debut in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} due to its sudden cancellation, the club instead contested the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} for the first time, defeating the {{wp|UEFA Cup}} winners {{wp|Galatasaray S.K. (football)|Galatasaray}} 4-3 on penalties. Meanwhile, following a round of 16 elimination from the {{wp|DFB-Pokal}} at the hands of {{wp|SC Freiburg}}, draws on both occasions against {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the first group stage round, both of which were made possible by Carter's goals, and a win over {{wp|Sporting CP}} saw them push the {{wp|Spanish}} giants down to the {{wp|UEFA Cup}} again, thereby allowing them to ultimately reach the finals once again where they faced {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}} once more where a 5-3 win on penalties confirmed {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen|Leverkusen}}'s second straight {{wp|European}} title.

====Final Years====
In the third season, Carter once again made an early start, missing a chance to score in the opening match against {{wp|VfL Wolfsburg}} before promptly registering a hat-trick in the second match against {{wp|FC Hansa Rostock|Hansa Rostock}}. Then, on August 11th, Carter marked his first-ever league win over {{wp|Bayern Munich}} with a lone goal in a decisive 2-1 win, a feat followed by hat-tricks in a 6-1 win over {{wp|FC St. Pauli|St. Pauli}} and a similar 7-1 win over {{wp|SC Freiburg|Freiburg}} respectively. Then, despite a 0-2 loss to {{wp|Bayern Munich}} canceling out a previous 3-2 win over {{wp|Hertha BSC}} courtesy of a brace from himself, Carter promptly rebounded with two goals to defeat {{wp|FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04}} 2-1, thereby ensuring a roughly two-month-long unbeaten streak that was ultimately ended by a 1-2 loss to {{wp|SV Werder Bremen|Bermen}} on the third final day, a loss that ultimately proved insufficient to deny {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}} their as four extra points saw them successfully defend their league title despite a fierce challenge from {{wp|Borussia Dortmund}}. Meanwhile, after much delay, Carter's hat-trick in a 6-0 win over {{wp|TSV 1860 Munich|1860 Munich}} saw him finally score his first few goals in the {{wp|DFB-Pokal}} although he ultimately failed to score in the final where they were beaten 2-4 by {{wp|FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04}}. Otherwise, in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, following a dominant performance in the group stages, for the third consecutive time, {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}} once more reached the finals, during which Carter himself scored twice in the semis to defeat his future club {{wp|Manchester United}} 5-3 on aggregate, where they faced {{wp|Real Madrid}} and subsequently dramatically won 3-2 by a brace from Carter to thus claim their third consecutive {{wp|European}} title, a feat that followed a similar consecutive {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} title in the form of a 1-0 win over {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} around a year prior. 

In his final season with the {{wp|German}} club, amidst an unexpected change in management, Carter, paired together with future {{wp|Manchester United}} teammate {{wp|Dimitar Berbatov}}, Carter himself made a somewhat uncharacteristically slow start, failing to score in the first of four matches. However, apparently buoyed by a 2-1 win over giants {{wp|Bayern Munich}}, on October 5th, he returned to score a hat-trick in a dramatic 3-2 win over {{wp|VfL Wolfsburg|Wolfsburg}}, his only goals prior to a subsequent months-long goal draught that only ended on March 15th when he scored his fourth goal of the season in a 2-1 win over {{wp|VfL Wolfsburg|Wolfsburg}} yet again although two further goals in a subsequent 2-1 win over {{wp|1. FC Kaiserslautern|Kaiserslautern}} provided some hope of a rediscovery in form for the maligned Carter. Ultimately, as a few further losses followed, Carter only managed to score two further goals in a 5-0 win over {{wp|TSV 1860 Munich|1860 Munich}} in the penultimate match, thereby bringing his final league goal tally to a record low of six, the only time in his two-decades-long career that his league goal tally ever dropped below double digits. Despite this, the club managed to reach the semi-finals of the {{wp|DFB-Pokal}} before being ultimately eliminated by giants {{wp|Bayern Munich}} in a 1-3 loss. Likewise, with only a hat-trick against the {{wp|Israeli}} side {{wp|Maccabi Haifa F.C.|Maccabi Haifa}} in the first group stage round, Carter, already largely seen by many at the time as completely dejected in the face of his club's sudden and dramatic decline, did otherwise managed a hat-trick against {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in the second round to mark the club's only victory in that stage, an ultimately futile effort as the three-time defending champions promptly crashed out of the tournament, thereby leaving Carter trophyless for the first and only time with {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}} as he subsequently announced his departure from the club, citing the "physical" and "emotional" tolls the season had taken on him, in favour of a year-long sabbatical before later returning to football with {{wp|Manchester United}} two years later.

During an interview shortly after {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}} secure their first {{wp|Bundesliga}} title in two decades under the management of {{wp|Xabi Alonso}}, the former {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} and {{wp|Real Madrid}} midfielder}} who led to {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}} to both their first {{wp|Bundesliga}} and {{wp|DFB-Pokal}} titles in decades unbeaten and also a {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} title via a 2-0 win over {{wp|Atalanta BC|Atalanta}}, Carter, while acknowledging the "disastrous" and "nightmarish" final season that he endured with the club, adding that the season itself almost nearly led him to a complete mental breakdown, otherwise spoke in a mostly positive manner of his past with the {{wp|German}} club, noting how former manager {{wp|Christoph Daum}}, who was later fired from the club at the end of the 1999-2000 season amidst a drug scandal, gave him the chance to establish himself as a world-class talent despite the considerable skepticism that his nationality and track record of having hailed from the less prestigious {{wp|Major League Soccer}} brought upon him, stating, .''"When I first heard that a club in {{wp|Europe}} wanted me, I thought it would be {{wp|Manchester United}} rather than some club in {{wp|Germany}} that I barely knew about. Ultimately, regardless of my thoughts at the time, in hindsight, I would absolutely say that a move to Leverkusen at only twenty years of age was the right move for my career since I could properly introduce myself to {{wp|Europe}}'s elite without the overwhelming pressure that would necessarily come from playing in a more prestigious league like the {{wp|Premier League}} in {{wp|England national football team|England}}. In the end, my dream club {{wp|Manchester United}} saw just how talented I was with a club like Leverkusen, defying all the odds to win titles here and there, and, in turn, rightfully offered me a contract which was essentially my ticket back to football after a time where I felt that my career was basically over after my last season with Leverkusen"''. In the end, with a total of 147 goals across all competitions, Carter currently ranks third in the club's all-time goalscorers list behind {{wp|Ulf Kirsten}} and {{wp|Stefan Kießling}} and otherwise ahead of {{wp|Dimitar Berbatov}} who later went on to join him for two seasons at {{wp|Manchester United}}. Meanwhile, despite his relatively short time spent and rather messy departure from the club, Carter continues to be a well-regarded figure among the club's supporters, with his debut in the 1999-2000 season at the club particularly drawing comparisons between Carter and the {{wp|German}} football legend {{wp|Gerd Müller}}.

===Manchester United (2004 - 2010)===
====Early Years====
{{Quote box
 |quote  = "Without a doubt, bringing him to the club straight from {{wp|Major League Soccer}} was one of or if not the best decision I've ever made as manager in my entire life."
 |author = Former {{wp|Manchester United}} head coach {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Alex Ferguson}} on signing Carter for the club
 |source = 
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On 1 August 2004, just a day after a friendly match against {{wp|A.C. Milan}}, Carter, by then a free agent and on a temporary break from professional football following his historic triumph at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}}, was officially announced to have joined {{wp|Manchester United}} with his transfer to the club said to have then brought "extreme delight" for longtime head coach {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Alex Ferguson}} who later remarked in a 2014 interview, ''"The fact that a recent {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} champion and the man who scored a hat-trick to defeat the mighty {{wp|Brazil}} was just walking around as a free agent waiting for a club to sign him is like a dream come true and the fact that {{wp|Manchester United}} was the one who did it will always be something that I'll be proud of for the rest of my life"''. Soon enough, on 8 August 2004, Carter would make his debut for the club just a week later in the {{wp|2004 FA Community Shield}} match against {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}, where he was called in early on in the 19th-minute as a substitute for {{wp|Paul Scholes}}, who had to be subbed off following an unfortunate injury on his left thigh. Then, following an initial 55th-minute goal by {{wp|Alan Carter (footballer, born 1980)|Alan Carter}}, Carter himself netted a late goal, his first ever for the club, in the 91st-minute following a successful run down the right flank past {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} defenders although this proved not enough to ultimately avoid a narrow 2-3 defeat at the hands of {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} who ultimately won the match by a rather thin 3-2 margin. 

Nonetheless, not long after his debut at the {{wp|FA Community Shield}} match, Carter was then featured in {{wp|Manchester United}}'s first {{wp|Premier League}} match of the season that year, where after once again coming on as a substitute in the 25th-minute, Carter proceeded to immediately make a name for himself in the {{wp|English}} football scene by scoring a hat-trick in the 84th minute, thereby allowing {{wp|Manchester United|The Red Devils}} to easily beat {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} 4-1, after they were initially down by 0-1. Following this, Carter was once again employed as a "super sub" in the next two matches before an injury during his third league match led him to miss the next few subsequent games. However, shortly after his return, Carter, now a regular starter for the club, once more caught the football world by storm when in his returning match against {{wp|Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth}}, Carter scored his second hat-trick to save the club from a 0-2 defeat, something which he came to emulate in the next three matches against {{wp|Manchester City}}, {{wp|Newcastle United}}, and {{wp|Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic}} respectively. However, this too ultimately proved not enough to win {{wp|Manchester United|The Red Devils}} the {{wp|Premier League}} season that year, with the club finishing as runner-up behind rivals {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}. Nonetheless, his overall performance for the club, made especially notable by the thirty-five goals he scored, the highest ever that year in both the {{wp|Premier League}} and in {{wp|European}} football saw him receive both a {{wp|Premier League Golden Boot}} award and an {{wp|European Golden Shoe}} award that year, which only further raised his image in the wider footballing community. In that same season, Carter also made his mark in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, where throughout the course of the competition, he recorded a total of three separate hat-tricks while notably scoring the lone goal in the finals against {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}, thereby avoiding a narrow 0-1 defeat, before proceeding to beat their {{wp|English}} rivals 4-2 in a penalty shootout, awarding the club their third {{wp|UEFA Champions League|Champions League}} title.

====Peak of Success====
[[File:200708.png|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Manchester United}} squad celebrating their historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} triumph.]]
For the following season, Carter continued to display a consistently positive performance, helping {{wp|Manchester United|The Red Devils}} to finally win the {{wp|Premier League}} albeit by their narrowest margin yet, that is by just one point ahead of runners-up {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}. Similarly, the club also found much success in the {{wp|FA Cup}} and {{wp|EFL Cup}} respectively but otherwise fell short of winning the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} for a second consecutive time following a narrow 4-5 defeat via penalty shootouts to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in the quarter-finals after both teams were tied at 5-5. Then, following the next two seasons where {{wp|Manchester United}} continued to see much consistent success in the domestic scene, Carter's time with the club came to a high point when in 2009 the club became the first-ever {{wp|European}} team to achieve a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} by winning the {{wp|2008-09 Premier League}} season, the {{wp|2008-09 FA Cup}} season, the {{wp|2009 FA Community Shield}}, the {{wp|2008-09 UEFA Champions League}} season, as well as the {{wp|2009 UEFA Super Cup}} and the {{wp|2009 FIFA Club World Cup}}. Then, in the following season, as well as the season beforehand, {{wp|Manchester United}} surprisingly came close to achieving another {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} if not for an unfortunate loss in the {{wp|FA Cup}} in both seasons in a testament to the club's overall dominance at the time. Meanwhile, in 2009, Carter twice made history in the {{wp|Premier League}}, firstly by scoring a record seven goals in a historic 10-0 win over {{wp|Fulham F.C.|Fulham}} on February 18th and secondly by scoring four goals in a 7-1 win over {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} on September 12th. In this, his seven goals scored, currently an unbroken league record, saw {{wp|Manchester United}} once again mark the biggest win in {{wp|Premier League}} history, surpassing their own previous record of a 9-0 win over {{wp|Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich}} in which {{wp|Andy Cole}} scored a record five goals. Moreover, having previously set the new record for the most goals scored in a {{wp|Premier League}} season with 39 goals in his second season with {{wp|Manchester United}}, Carter, over the course of his last two seasons with the club, established a new record of 41 goals in both seasons which would remain unbroken until {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Richard]] scored a record 45 goals in the 2022-23 season. 

====Departure to Atlético Madrid====
Following the end of the 2009-10 season, after it was reported by the {{wp|BBC}} that Carter did not wish to renew his six-year contract with {{wp|Manchester United}}, rumours quickly arose regarding his next destination with several of {{wp|Europe}}'s biggest clubs including {{wp|Real Madrid}}, {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}, {{wp|FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich}}, and {{wp|Juventus FC|Juventus}} being touted as his next club. In addition, derby rivals {{wp|Manchester City}}, whose new owner {{wp|Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan|Sheikh Mansour}} once reportedly thought of acquiring the {{wp|Manchester United}} forward's services in what was then considered a "direct sabotage" of their biggest rivals, was also briefly considered until Carter himself promptly refuted such rumours, stating, ''"I'll be leaving {{wp|Manchester United}} soon but never for its very own rivals in my entire life"''. Eventually, in a move that sparked much surprise from many observers, it was announced by the {{wp|Spanish}} newspaper {{wp|Marca (newspaper)|''Marca''}} that {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} had acquired Carter for a world-record transfer fee of £82.5 million (€96 million), an amount that slightly surpassed that of the previous world-record fee of £80 million paid by {{wp|Real Madrid}} for {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} the previous year, in a lucrative contract that would see him remain with the club for a total of five years with the option of an additional year while also including a €1 billion buy-out clause in a deliberate attempt to ward off encroaching competitors especially city rivals {{wp|Real Madrid}} who were similarly interested in acquiring Carter's services for themselves. Meanwhile, during his ensuing presentation ceremony to club supporters at the {{wp|Vicente Calderón Stadium}}, Carter spoke of a "bittersweet feeling" of leaving his much-beloved {{wp|Manchester United}} which he had long dreamt of playing for since childhood. However, pointing to his new club's "underdog" status, Carter explained that his decision to join {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} was to "face a new challenge for myself", adding, ''"When people talk about {{wp|La Liga}}, they always say that {{wp|Real Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} are the strongest clubs around and the only ones who can win the {{wp|UEFA Champions League|Champions League}}. Now, just as I did before with the {{wp|United States}} at the {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}}, I'm going to prove those same people wrong and show that {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} is just as strong or even stronger than both clubs and could absolutely win the {{wp|UEFA Champions League|Champions League}} as well"''. Meanwhile, in his best-selling autobiography, Carter later wrote of a "difficult conundrum" that he faced prior to leaving {{wp|Manchester United}}, stating, ''"Without a doubt, I always wanted to play for {{wp|Manchester United}} ever since I could walk but as excited and thrilled as I was scoring goals while wearing the red jersey, at some point, the game itself just felt a bit too easy for me when all we could seemingly do was just win titles left and right with almost no one apparently able to stop us. At that point, I stopped myself and asked whether I wanted to be a long-lasting servant of the club who could just win anything with just one goal or someone who was always challenged by equally strong opponents of the highest levels of the game who could be challenging me to be better than I previously was each time. In the end, I chose the latter"''.

{{Quote box
 |quote  = "Out of all the players that left during my time, Carter leaving was definitely the hardest I had to take and the most difficult one that I had to come back from. Truth be told, we were never the same without him anymore."
 |author = Former {{wp|Manchester United}} manager {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Alex Ferguson}} reflecting on Carter's departure from {{wp|Manchester United}} in 2010 
 |source =
 |width = 50%
}}
By the time of his departure, Carter's total goal tally of 471 across all competitions established him as the all-time goalscorer for {{wp|Manchester United}} while his 225 goals scored in the {{wp|Premier League}} currently makes him the second-highest all-time goalscorer behind {{wp|Alan Shearer}} with 260 goals with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s {{wp|Harry Kane}} almost coming close to surpass him with 221 goals. Meanwhile, until 2023, Carter formerly held the record for the most goals scored in a {{wp|Premier League}} season with 41 goals until {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Richard]] surpassed it with 45 goals in the 2022-23 season. Since then, Carter has remained a hugely popular and highly celebrated figure among {{wp|Manchester United}} supporters who famously nicknamed him "The Red Prince" due to his royal lineage and the club's traditional red colours. Moreover, together with {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} and {{wp|Eric Cantona}}, Carter is considered to be one of {{wp|Manchester United}}'s greatest forwards of the {{wp|Premier League}} era and, among some supporters, is even considered to be the successor to the late {{wp|Bobby Charlton}}. As of current, Carter is the only {{wp|American}} player to have won the {{wp|Premier League}} and only one of two {{wp|Americans}} to have won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} alongside {{wp|Jovan Kirovski}} who won the tournament in 1997 with {{wp|Borussia Dortmund}}.  

Following the end of the 2022-23 season, the departures of goalkeeper {{wp|David de Gea}} and defender {{wp|Phil Jones (footballer, born 1992)|Phil Jones}}, the last few players remaining from the {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Ferguson}} era, effectively left {{wp|Manchester United}} without a {{wp|Premier League}} winner for the first time in three decades. However, after almost eight years away, the {{wp|Manchester United|club}} later re-signed academy graduate {{wp|Jonny Evans}} who was part of the historic 2008-09 {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}}-winning squad, thereby making the {{wp|Irish}} defender the only player still at {{wp|Manchester United}} to have so far won both the {{wp|Premier League}} and the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, titles which {{wp|Manchester United}} last won in the 2012-13 and 2009-10 seasons respectively. However, following the punishment imposed on {{wp|Manchester City}} for the club's violations of 115 financial fair play rules, {{wp|Manchester United}} was awarded {{wp|Manchester City}}'s league titles for the 2011-12 and 2017-18 seasons, thereby making the likes of {{wp|Victor Lindelöf}}, {{wp|Marcus Rashford}}, {{wp|Luke Shaw}}, and {{wp|Scott McTominay}} the only players left at {{wp|Manchester United}} from the last time the club has technically "won" the {{wp|Premier League}}. 

===Atlético Madrid (2010 - 2019)===
====Debut Season: Europa League Triumph====
On August 30th, Carter made his {{wp|La Liga}} debut in a home match against {{wp|Sporting Gijón}} in which Carter, despite not scoring a goal himself, played an active role in the club's dominant 4-0 win over their opponents. Nonetheless, in the following match against {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}} on September 11th, Carter soon made his mark at the club by scoring a hat-trick in the 76th minute, allowing {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to easily defeat their opponents 5-1. However, throughout the next few matches or so, Carter experienced a temporary goal draught that saw the club lose to both {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} and {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} while otherwise drawing with {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}} although this soon came to an end when Carter subsequently scored just his second hat-trick for the club in a dramatic 3-2 win over {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}} who initially led 2-0 by the 52nd minute before a subsequent hat-trick from Carter in the 58th minute turned the match upside down in {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}'s favour. Then, a third hat-trick followed in a November 13th fixture against {{wp|CA Osasuna|Osasuna}} along with his first brace for the club just a week later against {{wp|Real Sociedad}}, the latter which he wasted no time in following up on by scoring a fourth hat-trick in a dramatic 5-3 win over {{wp|RCD Espanyol|Espanyol}}. A fifth hat-trick followed in a 3-0 win over {{wp|Racing Santander}} although this itself was followed by a heavy 1-4 defeat to {{wp|Hércules CF|Hércules}} and an ensuing 4-0 win over {{wp|RCD Mallorca|Mallorca}}. Following this, amidst a string of poor performances which saw the club lose once again to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} by 3-0 via a {{wp|Lionel Messi}} hat-trick, Carter nonetheless proved vital in scoring a decisive 47th-minute goal that helped them draw 2-2 against {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}}. Then, after scoring two consecutive hat-tricks that allowed {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to defeat {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} and {{wp|Getafe CF|Getafe}} 5-2 and 4-1 respectively, Carter soon scored his first goal against {{wp|La Liga}} giants {{wp|Real Madrid}} in a 2-2 draw on March 29th, which he followed up with a tiebreaking brace in the 69th minute against {{wp|RCD Espanyol|Espanyol}}, who the club ultimately defeated 4-2 thanks to a separate brace from {{wp|Sergio Agüero}} in the 61st minute. In the end, Carter would cap off his first season with {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} through yet another hat-trick in a 4-0 win over {{wp|Deportivo La Coruña}}, a brace in a 2-3 loss to {{wp|Málaga CF|Málaga}}, and his final brace of the season in a 6-3 win over {{wp|RCD Mallorca|Mallorca}} on the final day at which point he finished as the club's leading goalscorer with 34 goals in 36 appearances, the second-highest behind {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} and ahead of {{wp|Lionel Messi}}. In the meantime, with a total of 74 points, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} also qualified for the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} group stage alongside giants {{wp|Real Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}.

[[File:Aviva Stadium(Dublin Arena).JPG|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Aviva Stadium}} in {{wp|Dublin}}, {{wp|Republic of Ireland|Ireland}}, which hosted the {{wp|2011 Europa League Final}} between {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Porto|Porto}}.]]
Separately, on December 22nd, Carter also made his {{wp|Copa del Rey}} debut in a much similar fashion, scoring a hat-trick in the second leg of the round of 32 to mark a final 9-1 win on aggregate against {{wp|Universidad de Las Palmas CF|Universidad de Las Palmas}} although he did not otherwise score any further with {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} subsequently losing 4-1 on aggregate to {{wp|Real Madrid}}. Meanwhile, on September 16th, Carter scored his first two goals in the {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} in a 3-1 win over {{wp|Greek}} side {{wp|Aris Thessaloniki F.C.|Aris}}, which he soon followed up with another brace in a 3-1 win over his former club {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}}, followed by one goal in a 3-1 win over {{wp|Rosenborg BK|Rosenborg}} and another single goal in a 3-3 draw against {{wp|Aris Thessaloniki F.C.|Aris}}. Then, following a narrow 6-5 win on aggregate against {{wp|FC Dynamo Kyiv|Dynamo Kyiv}}, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, courtesy of a hat-trick from Carter in both legs of the round of 16, marked a dominant 11-3 victory over {{wp|Manchester City}} before proceeding to demolish {{wp|Portuguese}} sides {{wp|S.C. Braga|Braga}} and {{wp|Benfica}} 6-3 and 6-2 respectively as well as another {{wp|Portuguese}} side {{wp|FC Porto|Porto}} 4-0 in the finals to win their second {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} title in a row after their first one that was achieved by a 2-1 win over {{wp|English}} side {{wp|Fulham F.C.|Fulham}}, thereby qualifying them once again for the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} in which {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} narrowly defeated {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} 3-2 to follow up on their previous 1-0 win over Carter's former club {{wp|Manchester United}} in the previous edition.

====Diego Simeone Era====
{{Quote box
 |quote  = "From the beginning, I knew that together we're going to do something special and remarkable at the club, and during those five years we certainly did a lot."
 |author = {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} manager {{wp|Diego Simeone}} on his five-year partnership with Carter 
 |source = 
 |width  = 50%
 |align  = right
}}
In his second season with the club, Carter began promisingly, scoring a tiebreaking goal against {{wp|CA Osasuna|Osasuna}} and a hat-trick in a 7-0 win over {{wp|Racing Santander}}. Despite a heavy 0-5 loss to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}, he scored crucial goals against {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}}, {{wp|Granada CF|Granada}}, and a hat-trick in a 6-1 win over {{wp|Rayo Vallecano}}. Under new manager {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, Carter scored a memorable brace in a 2-0 win over {{wp|Malaga CF|Malaga}} and continued to shine with multiple braces and hat-tricks against various teams, culminating in a total of 40 goals in 34 appearances. Although {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} was eliminated from the {{wp|Copa del Rey}} by {{wp|Albacete Balompié|Albacete}}, they triumphed in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, defeating {{wp|Bayern Munich}} 2-0 in the final. They also won the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} against {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}} and the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} against {{wp|Sport Club Corinthians Paulista|Corinthians}}.

In the 2012-13 season, Carter started strong with a hat-trick in a 7-3 win over {{wp|Rayo Vallecano}} and a goal in a 5-2 win over {{wp|Real Betis}}. Despite losses to {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}} and {{wp|Real Madrid}}, he maintained consistent form, scoring 16 goals in 15 matches. His notable performances included a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over {{wp|Celta Vigo}}, another in a 3-3 draw with {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}}, and a decisive hat-trick against {{wp|Rayo Vallecano}}. By season's end, he had 40 goals, making him the second-highest scorer behind {{wp|Lionel Messi}}. {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} finished second in {{wp|La Liga}}, their best in two decades. Carter was instrumental in their {{wp|Copa del Rey}} victory and their second consecutive {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title, including a hat-trick in both legs against {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}. They also won the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} and defeated {{wp|Raja CA|Raja Casablanca}} in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}}. In the {{wp|Supercopa de España}}, Carter's brace secured a 3-1 victory over {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}.

====Sextuple Success====
Carter began the 2013-14 season strongly, scoring consecutive braces against {{wp|Real Sociedad}} and {{wp|UD Almería|Almería}}, a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over {{wp|Real Madrid}}, and a goal in a 1-1 draw with {{wp|RCD Espanyol|Espanyol}}, helping {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} go ten matches unbeaten. Despite a 0-2 loss to {{wp|UD Almería|Almería}}, Carter's hat-trick in a 3-3 draw with {{wp|CA Osasuna|Osasuna}} and another against {{wp|Real Madrid}} in a 5-2 win, followed by a hat-trick against {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in a 4-1 win, secured their first {{wp|La Liga}} title in nearly two decades. Though they lost 1-5 to {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the {{wp|Copa del Rey}} semi-finals, they triumphed over {{wp|Real Madrid}} in a 2-1 win in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} final. They also won the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} against {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}}, the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} against {{wp|CASLA|San Lorenzo}}, and the {{wp|Supercopa de España}} against {{wp|Real Madrid}}.

In the 2014-15 season, Carter opened with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win against {{wp|Rayo Vallecano}}. Despite a loss to {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}}, Carter's hat-tricks and braces led to victories over {{wp|Getafe CF|Getafe}}, {{wp|Deportivo La Coruña}}, {{wp|Elche CF|Elche}}, and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}. By season's end, he had scored 40 goals, and {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} won {{wp|La Liga}} for a second consecutive season, becoming the first club besides {{wp|Real Madrid}} or {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} to do so since the 1980s. Though they lost to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in the {{wp|Copa del Rey}} quarter-finals, they avenged this loss with a 5-2 win in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} final, marking their fourth consecutive title. They also won the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}}, the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}}, and the {{wp|Supercopa de España}}.

[[File:Scudo2009.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|San Siro}} in {{wp|Milan}}, {{wp|Italy}}, which hosted the {{wp|2017 UEFA Champions League Final}} between {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} and {{wp|Real Madrid}}, with the former subsequently winning the match 4-1 and later going on to achieve a historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} in a first for a {{wp|Spanish}} side and the second in {{wp|European}} history after {{wp|Manchester United}}.]]
In the 2015-16 season, Carter returned to form with a brace in a 3-1 win over {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}, and another brace in a 2-1 win over {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}}. He scored hat-tricks against {{wp|Sporting Gijón}}, {{wp|UD Las Palmas|Las Palmas}}, {{wp|Getafe CF|Getafe}}, and {{wp|Real Madrid}}, leading {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to an undefeated season and a record-breaking third consecutive {{wp|La Liga}} title with 106 points. They also won the {{wp|Copa del Rey}} with a 4-1 victory over {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}. In the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, Carter's hat-tricks led to victories over {{wp|PSV Eindhoven}}, {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}, and {{wp|Bayern Munich}}, culminating in a 4-1 win over {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the final for their fifth consecutive title. They won the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} and the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}}, and the {{wp|Supercopa de España}}, becoming the second European team to achieve a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}}.

====Final Years====
In the 2016-17 season, Carter began brilliantly, scoring a hat-trick in the opening match against {{wp|Deportivo Alavés|Alavés}} and adding a goal in a 5-0 win over {{wp|RC Celta de Vigo|Celta Vigo}}. Despite a 1-1 draw with {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}, he contributed significantly with assists and goals, including crucial hat-tricks against {{wp|Real Sociedad}} and {{wp|Real Madrid}}. He ended the season with 40 goals, leading {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to their fourth consecutive title, and scored vital goals in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, culminating in a hat-trick to secure their sixth consecutive European title with a 5-1 win over {{wp|Juventus}}. Carter also led his team to victory in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} against {{wp|Manchester United}} and the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}}, capping off the season with a dramatic win over {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in the {{wp|Supercopa de España}}.

In the 2017-18 season, Carter started strong with a hat-trick in an 8-1 win over {{wp|UD Las Palmas|Las Palmas}} and maintained his form with key goals, including a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory over {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}. Despite a setback against {{wp|RCD Espanyol|Espanyol}}, Carter continued to score crucial goals, leading {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to their fifth consecutive title. He was instrumental in their {{wp|Copa del Rey}} win, scoring a hat-trick in the finals against {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}. In the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, Carter's goals helped defeat {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} and {{wp|Real Madrid}}, securing their seventh European title. {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} also won the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} and the {{wp|Supercopa de España}}, achieving a historic second {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}}, with Carter now holding three sextuple achievements, the most for any player. 

In his final season with {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, Carter began with a brace in a 2-2 draw against {{wp|Celta Vigo}}. On September 15th, he scored his first hat-trick of the season, leading to a 4-1 win over {{wp|SD Eibar|Eibar}}, followed by a 2-0 victory over {{wp|Getafe CF|Getafe}}. Despite another hat-trick against {{wp|SD Huesca|Huesca}}, Carter couldn't break the deadlock against {{wp|Real Madrid}}, but compensated with a decisive goal in a 2-1 win over {{wp|FC Barcelona}}. He then scored hat-tricks in dominant wins over {{wp|Deportivo Alavés|Alavés}} and {{wp|RCD Espanyol|Espanyol}}. Despite losses to {{wp|Real Betis}} and {{wp|Real Madrid}}, Carter contributed two goals in a 4-0 win over {{wp|Real Sociedad}}. A hat-trick on March 16, 2019, secured a 3-2 win over {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}}, and Carter's final goals in a 4-2 victory over {{wp|Levante UD|Levante}} helped {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} clinch their sixth consecutive {{wp|La Liga}} title. In the {{wp|Copa del Rey}}, Carter's hat-trick against {{wp|Girona FC|Girona}} secured a 7-4 aggregate win in the round of 16. He also scored a crucial goal to see off {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the quarter-finals, leading to a semi-final against {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}. Carter's hat-trick and two additional goals resulted in a 4-8 aggregate victory, clearing the path to the finals, where his tiebreaking goal helped defeat {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}} 3-2. In the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, Carter faced his old rival {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} of {{wp|Juventus}}. Carter's hat-trick in the first leg offset Ronaldo's hat-trick in the second, leading to a 3-5 aggregate victory. {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} then demolished {{wp|AFC Ajax|Ajax}} 13-0 on aggregate and defeated {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} 8-1 on aggregate to then face {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} in the final at the club's own home ground where they went on to win 4-1 via a hat-trick from Carter, thereby winning their eighth overall {{wp|European}} title, the most for any club until arch-rivals {{wp|Real Madrid}} equalised the record with a 1-0 win over {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} in 2022.

{{Quote box
 |quote  = "Without a doubt, {{wp|Real Madrid}} can say they have {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} can say they have {{wp|Lionel Messi}}. In the end, we had William Carter, and judging by our successes and the multiple {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuples}}, we were the lucky ones, and the others couldn't necessarily say the same"
 |author = {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} captain {{wp|Koke (footballer, born 1992)|Koke}} on Carter's impact at the club
 |source = 
 |width  = 50%
 |align  = right
}}
By the time of his departure from the club, having scored 328 goals in 302 appearances, Carter had long officially become the all-time goalscorer for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, surpassing the previous record of 172 goals by {{wp|Luis Aragonés}}, to whom Carter subsequently paid a personal tribute upon breaking the latter's goalscoring record, stating, ''"As great as I could have been in my five years at the club, there is surely no one better than the one and only {{wp|Luis Aragonés}}"''. In the meantime, his total goal tally also notably makes him {{wp|La Liga}}'s second-highest all-time goalscorer, becoming the only {{wp|English}} or {{wp|American}} player to be included in the top ten in a list mostly dominated by {{wp|Spanish}} players and led in the top three by Carter, {{wp|Lionel Messi}}, and {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} respectively. Among club supporters, Carter is popularly known by the nickname of '''"''San Guillermo''"''' ("Saint William") as a tribute to his extraordinary successes with the club, similar to how former longtime {{wp|Real Madrid}} goalkeeper {{wp|Iker Casillas}} is popularly known as '''"''San Iker''"''' ("Saint Iker") among the club's fans. In addition, some supporters have also nicknamed him '''"''Hijo del Atlético''"''' which translates to "Son of Atlético", a testament to his overwhelming popularity among the club's supporters. 

Having participated and scored in all three {{wp|European}} finals to date that were lost by {{wp|Real Madrid}}, all of which were with {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, Carter is generally considered by most observers to be the apparent kryptonite against the {{wp|Spanish}} giants whose ongoing two-decades-long {{wp|European}} title drought since their last one in 1998 has been considerably attributed to Carter's dominant success with {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} throughout much of the 2010s. Later on, in the {{wp|2021 UEFA Champions League Final}} between {{wp|Real Madrid}} and {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, with the latter being under Carter's management at the time, the {{wp|Spanish}} giants were defeated 0-1 by a lone goal from {{wp|Lucas Moura}}, thereby resulting in the so-called "Carter Curse" which claims that {{wp|Real Madrid}} would lose any {{wp|European}} final as long as the opposition was captained or managed by Carter himself. Moreover, in the immediate season following Carter's retirement as head coach, {{wp|Real Madrid}} was eliminated in the semi-finals by the {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} currently captained by Carter's younger brother [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Prince Richard]].

==International Career==
===United States U-20===
[[File:Main-bowl-national-stadium-surulere-lagos.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|National Stadium, Lagos|National Stadium}} in {{wp|Lagos}}, {{wp|Nigeria}}, which hosted the {{wp|1999 FIFA World Youth Championship Final}} between the {{wp|United States}} and {{wp|Japan}}. The {{wp|United States}} later won the match 1-0 via a tiebreaking goal from Carter in the 76th minute.]]
In 1999, two years into his career as a professional footballer for {{wp|LA Galaxy}}, Carter, by virtue of his fast-rising popularity and talent, was called up for the {{wp|United States men's national under-20 soccer team|under-20 national team}}, with the national call-up proving vital in exposing Carter to his first-ever international tournament, namely the {{wp|1999 FIFA World Youth Championship}} in {{wp|Nigeria}}. It was later reported that the callup, at least initially, was opposed by Carter's mother, the actress {{wp|Lynda Carter}}, who was said to have been personally concerned for her son's wellbeing in such a foreign country at a relatively young age. Ultimately, repeated assurances that the twenty-year-old Carter's well-being would be well taken care of, coupled with Carter's own personal insistence on participating in the tournament, eventually gave way to the national team call-up.

Soon enough, having been grouped with the likes of {{wp|England national football team|England}}, {{wp|Japan}}, and {{wp|Cameroon}}, Carter quickly made his mark for the national team by scoring a brace in the first group stage match against {{wp|England national football team|England}} although this was then followed by a 1-3 defeat to {{wp|Japan}}. However, in what would be a vital match towards securing qualification to the knockout stages, Carter went on to score his first hat-trick for the {{wp|United States}} against {{wp|Cameroon}} in a 6-0 win. Not long afterward, a late 93rd-minute goal from Carter proved vital in avoiding a narrow 2-3 defeat to {{wp|Spain}} in the round of 16, following which the {{wp|United States}} proceeded to defeat the {{wp|Spaniards}} 4-1 on penalties to advance to the quarter-finals. Then, after scoring two goals to complete a narrow 3-2 victory over hosts {{wp|Nigeria}} in the quarter-finals, Carter scored his second hat-trick for the {{wp|United States}} to complete a dominant 6-0 win over {{wp|Mali}} in the ensuing semi-finals, thereby allowing them to progress to the finals where they faced {{wp|Japan}}. In this, after a relatively long period which saw both the {{wp|United States}} and {{wp|Japan}} unsuccessfully attempt a tiebreaker, at precisely the 76th minute, Carter shortly proceeded to dribble past several {{wp|Japanese}} players before unleashing a powerful long-range shot from just outside of the penalty area to give the {{wp|United States}} a vital breakthrough in the closing minutes of the game amidst subsequent unsuccessful attempt by {{wp|Japan}} to level the scores. Soon enough, having personally contributed to the {{wp|United States}}' first-ever {{wp|FIFA U-20 World Cup|FIFA World Youth Championship}} title with his tiebreaking goal in the finals, Carter's profile as a relatively unknown soccer player immediately rose to an unprecedented high with some media outlets gradually beginning to tout Carter as a "future {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} winner" especially so given that just a year prior the {{wp|United States}} suffered a humiliating exit in the group stages of the {{wp|1998 FIFA World Cup}}. 

===United States===
{{Quote box
 |quote  = "As ridiculous as it might sound, he was our star, our captain, our engine, and our everything. Without him, we were essentially an entirely different team from the one that competed at the World Cup in 2002."
 |author = Former head coach {{wp|Bruce Arena}} on Carter's time at the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|USMNT}}
 |source = 
 |width  = 50%
 |align  = right
}}
In the following year, by then a talent-proven soccer player in the {{wp|Major League Soccer}} scene, and most recently, the winner of the {{wp|1999 FIFA World Youth Championship}}, Carter was officially called up for his first-ever international duty as part of the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States national team}}, with then-manager {{wp|Bruce Arena}} hoping to utilise the young and rising soccer star as the national team's primary goalscorer in future competitive matches, especially in light of the upcoming {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Japan}} and {{wp|South Korea|Korea}}. On 16 January 2000, Carter made his debut for the national team in a friendly match against {{wp|Iran}} where, following an initial 1-1 deadlock between the two sides, Carter proceeded to score two goals throughout the second half, ultimately giving the {{wp|United States}} a 3-1 win over their opponents. Then, around a month later, for the {{wp|2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup}} tournament, Carter, who initially did not score in the first two matches against {{wp|Haiti}} and {{wp|Peru}} respectively, went on to score a hat-trick, his first-ever for the {{wp|United States}}' senior team, in the quarter-final match against {{wp|Colombia}}, allowing the {{wp|United States}} to break the initial 2-2 deadlock and therefore achieve a resounding 5-2 victory. This was soon followed by a heavy 4-0 demolition of {{wp|Peru}} in the semi-finals, in which Carter otherwise scored only one goal to add on to the other three goals by his teammates. In the end, a brace from Carter in the final match against {{wp|Canada}}, whose initial 1-0 lead was consequently overturned as a result, proved to be the decisive factor that awarded the {{wp|United States}} their second {{wp|CONCACAF Gold Cup}} title. Then, just a year later, as a regular starter for the {{wp|United States}}, Carter famously contributed two consecutive hat-tricks in the knockout stages to demolish both {{wp|France}} and {{wp|Japan}} 5-0 and 5-1 respectively, allowing the {{wp|United States}} to also win their first-ever {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}} tournament. Soon enough, with only a year left until the upcoming {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} tournament, Carter was named the {{wp|United States}}' new team captain, becoming the youngest-ever {{wp|American}} captain in history at just twenty-two. Almost immediately, his public profile rose considerably among the {{wp|American}} media with {{wp|ESPN}}, noting Carter's physical attractiveness, beginning to refer to him as "{{wp|America}}'s {{wp|David Beckham}}".

[[File:Nissan International Stadium Yokohama.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Nissan Stadium (Yokohama)|Nissan Stadium}} in {{wp|Yokohama}}, {{wp|Japan}}, which hosted the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup Final}} and which saw the {{wp|United States}} achieve a historic 5-0 win over {{wp|Brazil}} to lift their first and only {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} title to date.]]
Following this, in 2002, Carter saw further success by winning a second consecutive {{wp|CONCACAF Gold Cup}} with the {{wp|United States}} with his most notable contributions being a brace in a 6-0 win over {{wp|El Salvador}} in the quarter-finals and a hat-trick in the finals that saw the {{wp|Americans}} demolish {{wp|Costa Rica}} 5-0 at the {{wp|Rose Bowl (stadium)|Rose Bowl}} in {{wp|Pasadena}}, {{wp|California}}. Soon enough, for the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}}'s group stage fixtures, Carter was a steady and dominant presence for the {{wp|United States}}, scoring twice in a 5-2 win over {{wp|Portugal}} and a crucial equalising goal in a 1-1 draw with {{wp|South Korea|Korea}}, thereby allowing the {{wp|Americans}} to advance to the knockout stages despite a subsequent 1-3 loss to {{wp|Poland}} in the final group stage match. In the ensuing round of 16, Carter provided one additional goal to complete a 3-0 rout of neighbours {{wp|Mexico}} before following it up with a crucial hat-trick to complete a remarkable 3-1 comeback win over {{wp|Germany}}, thereby allowing them to progress further to the semi-finals for just the second time in almost seventy years where the {{wp|United States}} narrowly defeated {{wp|Republic of Ireland|Ireland}} 4-3 courtesy of a brace from Carter to reach a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} final for the first time ever. In this, Carter's individual brilliance, coupled with resolute defending from the {{wp|American}} backline in an effective 4-4-2 counter-attacking system set up by head coach {{wp|Bruce Arena}}, saw the {{wp|United States}} achieve a historic 5-0 victory over a star-studded {{wp|Brazil national football team|Brazilian national team}} consisting of the likes of goalkeeper {{wp|Marcos (footballer, born 1973)|Marcos}}, defenders {{wp|Cafu}} and {{wp|Roberto Carlos}}, midfielders {{wp|Rivaldo}} and {{wp|Kaká}}, and forwards {{wp|Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo}} and {{wp|Ronaldinho}}, in what later came to be nicknamed by {{wp|Brazilians}} as the ''"Desastre de Yokohama"'' ({{wp|English}}: "Yokohama Disaster") given the heavy-handed and unexpected nature of their national team's defeat while {{wp|American}} supporters otherwise came to refer to it as the "June 30th Miracle", a term that was even echoed by then-manager {{wp|Bruce Arena}} who later said during the post-match press conference, ''"Under normal circumstances, with the players that {{wp|Brazil}} had fielded, we definitely didn't stand a chance but this turns out to be not a normal match at all and by all means, we certainly did a miracle here that everyone will remember for generations"''. Most significantly, this marks the first and only time to date that the {{wp|United States}}, as the first and only {{wp|CONCACAF}} member state to do so, has ever won a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} trophy since they first participated in the tournament in its inaugural {{wp|1930 FIFA World Cup|1930}} edition where they finished in third place behind {{wp|Uruguay}} and {{wp|Argentina}}, their highest-ever finish in the tournament prior to their victory in the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup|2002}} edition. In the meantime, his 75th-minute hat-trick saw Carter become just the second player after {{wp|England national football team|England}}'s {{wp|Geoff Hurst}} to score a hat-trick in a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} final as well as the only {{wp|American}} player to do so in what is the country's only appearance to date in a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} final.  

Later on, despite suddenly announcing that the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} would be his first and only {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} tournament with the {{wp|United States}}, an announcement that quickly caught many by surprise, Carter continued to remain with the national team for another year to then successfully guide it to a first-place finish at the {{wp|2003 FIFA Confederations Cup}} in which a hat-trick from the former in the finals saw the {{wp|United States}} deliver a 3-1 defeat to {{wp|Costa Rica}}, who beforehand had recorded an unexpected 3-0 victory over {{wp|France}} in the semi-finals, thereby securing a second consecutive win in the {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}}, with the {{wp|United States}} itself becoming the first nation to win the tournament twice in a row, followed by {{wp|Brazil}} afterward. In the end, amidst much speculation and expectation that he would retire from the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States national team}}, Carter announced his much-anticipated departure that would precede a subsequent move to {{wp|England national football team|England}} the following year. Since then, the somewhat abrupt nature of Carter's retirement from the national team, that is at the mere age of twenty-five, coupled with the fact that the national team itself would never go on to win another {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} or reach the same heights as they previously did, has led many {{wp|American}} sports commentators to describe it as a "watershed moment" for the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States national team}} who had effectively lost their star player right after a major and historic triumph. Evidently, former {{wp|LA Galaxy}} and {{wp|United States}} teammate {{wp|Cobi Jones}} later remarked, ''"Without a doubt, he (Carter) was one of or if not the best soccer player I've ever played with in my entire life and it was truly a loss to see him go so soon especially when it became clear that we needed him so much later on"''. Since then, the {{wp|United States}} has failed to progress beyond the round of 16 in subsequent editions during which they were twice eliminated in the group stages in {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup|2006}} and {{wp|2022 FIFA World Cup|2022}}. 

For his success at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}}, Carter, along with other players in the national team, were each awarded a {{wp|Presidential Medal of Freedom}} and a lavish state dinner by {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Al Gore}}. In that same year, a marble statue of Carter, known as the "Captain America Statue", was erected in his honour and currently stands in front of the {{wp|United States Soccer Federation}} headquarters in {{wp|Chicago}}, {{wp|Illinois}}. Moreover, {{wp|American}} supporters and fans are known to have famously nicknamed Carter "Captain America" in recognition of his success with the national team at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} that, coupled with his pre-eminent status in the {{wp|American}} soccer scene, made him the most famous {{wp|American}} soccer player in history, a view shared by former soccer player {{wp|Cobi Jones}} who remarked, ''"The truth is that there were eleven of us that won the {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} that year but as it would happen only one will be remembered for generations to come by almost everyone around the world"''. In the meantime, his good looks and footballing prowess also led some media outlets to initially dub him "America's Beckham", referencing the famous {{wp|English}} footballer {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|David Beckham}} known for his combination of excellent talent and striking looks. Incidentally, the two later went on to play together for {{wp|England national football team|England}} at the {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Germany}} but were otherwise never paired together at the club level with {{wp|David Beckham|Beckham}} even ironically moving to {{wp|LA Galaxy}} in 2007, almost a decade after Carter had left the {{wp|Major League Soccer}} franchise. Regarding this comparison, Carter, citing {{wp|David Beckham|Beckham}}'s infamous red card incident at the {{wp|1998 FIFA World Cup}}, once said that his compatriot "would be nothing if I did not come to {{wp|England national football team|England}} in {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup|2006}}", referencing the {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup}}, the last {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} that {{wp|David Beckham|Beckham}} played prior to retiring from international duty in 2009 and the only one he ever won, for which Carter believed that he deserved much credit for "making" his compatriot a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} champion at the last opportunity. Meanwhile, {{wp|English}} actress {{wp|Emily Blunt}}, a close friend of Carter, once proclaimed her best friend to be the "more successful and more handsome Beckham".

===England===
{{Quote box
 |quote  = "If I was going to win a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}}, I want it to be with my own [[Thomas, King of the British|father]] who will celebrate with me on the stage when it's over and not with some random politician that I probably didn't even vote for."
 |author = Carter on his decision to switch his international allegiance from the {{wp|United States}} to {{wp|England national football team|England}}
 |source = 
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In 2004, just shortly after he had signed for {{wp|Manchester United}} under {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Alex Ferguson}}, Carter, who had publicly stated his intention of representing {{wp|England national football team|England}}, was officially declared an {{wp|England national football team|England}} player by {{wp|FIFA}}, football's governing body. To that end, on 18 February 2004, amidst widespread enthusiasm and anticipation, Carter made his debut in a friendly match against {{wp|Portugal}} that eventually ended in a 1-1 draw, with the former unable to score a goal despite registering several attempts on target. However, around a month later, on March 31st, Carter scored his first few goals for {{wp|England national football team|England}} in a 2-1 win over {{wp|Sweden}}, who initially led their opponents by 1-0 via {{wp|Zlatan Ibrahimović}} until a brace from Carter overturned the result in {{wp|England national football team|England}}'s favour. Then, following a three-month-long break, Carter soon returned to {{wp|England national football team|England}} to compete in the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2004}}, his first {{wp|European}} tournament, in which he first scored a brace in the match against {{wp|France}} in the group stages before following it up with two consecutive hat-tricks against {{wp|Switzerland}} and {{wp|Croatia}} respectively. Once more, in the round of 16 fixture against {{wp|Portugal}}, Carter's late 116th-minute goal, which came around just a minute after an earlier goal by {{wp|Frank Lampard}}, proved vital in breaking the 2-2 deadlock, thereby avoiding an ensuing penalty shootout while allowing {{wp|England national football team|England}} to progress to the quarter-finals to meet the {{wp|Netherlands}} where they ultimately lost 2-3. However, despite this setback, when later asked by a {{wp|BBC}} journalist over his immediate feelings, Carter famously replied, ''"It's alright, I'm just getting started"''. As of the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2024 Final}}, roughly twenty years later, the 2-3 loss to the {{wp|Netherlands}} in the quarter-finals marks the last time that {{wp|England national football team|England}} had lost in the knockout {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}} stages and, somewhat ironically, the two nations did face each other in the semi-finals with {{wp|England national football team|England}} ultimately winning it 5-1.

[[File:Olympiastadion Berlin Sep-2015.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Olympiastadion (Berlin)|Olympiastadion}} in {{wp|Berlin}}, {{wp|Germany}}, where {{wp|England national football team|England}} defeated {{wp|Italy}} 5-2 to win their first {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} title in forty years.]]
Despite the {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}} setback, in anticipation of the {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Germany}}, Carter, by now a guaranteed regular starter under manager {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson}} who had also appointed him as the new {{wp|England national football team|England}} captain, quickly proved his worth via a series of goals scored in the qualifying campaign for the upcoming {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} tournament where almost all of their opponents except for {{wp|Republic of Ireland|Ireland}}, to whom {{wp|England national football team|England}} narrowly lost 0-1, were defeated each time by comfortable margins. Similarly, in the following group stage matches on June 2006, {{wp|England national football team|England}}, grouped alongside {{wp|Paraguay}}, [[West Indies]], and {{wp|Sweden}}, easily managed their qualification to the knockout stages with victories against both {{wp|Paraguay}} and [[West Indies]] while a fixture with {{wp|Sweden}} ended in a 2-2 draw in which {{wp|Joe Cole}} and {{wp|Steven Gerrard}} provided the two {{wp|England national football team|England}} goals. Then, in the following round of 16, {{wp|England national football team|England}} comfortably managed a resounding 4-0 victory over {{wp|Ecuador}}, with Carter himself providing his first hat-trick for the national team in the match. However, a 0-0 draw with {{wp|Portugal}} in the following quarter-final match almost saw {{wp|England national football team|England}}'s journey at the tournament cut short before a remarkable performance by goalkeeper {{wp|Paul Robinson (footballer, born 1979)|Paul Robinson}} during the subsequent penalty shootouts saw {{wp|England national football team|England}} progress to the semi-finals with a final 4-2 win over their opponents. Following this, Carter went on to provide two decisive goals in the semi-final match against {{wp|France}} before later adding two goals of his own to complete a 5-2 rout of {{wp|Italy}} in the finals, thereby securing {{wp|England national football team|England}} their first {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} title in decades while also ending a forty-year-long trophy drought since their first {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} triumph in {{wp|1966 FIFA World Cup|1966}}. Moreover, Carter also personally gained fame for being the first player to win a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} for two different countries as well as the first to win two consecutive {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} trophies. 

[[File:Ernst-happel-stadion vienna.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The {{wp|Ernst-Happel-Stadion}} in {{wp|Vienna}}, {{wp|Austria}}, where {{wp|England national football team|England}} defeated {{wp|Germany}} 4-2 to win their first-ever {{wp|European}} title in just two years after their first {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} title in forty years.]]
In 2008, just two years after their historic {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} triumph, {{wp|England national football team|England}}, now led by none other than Carter himself as captain and {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson}} as manager, saw further success in the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2008}} where after being initially grouped alongside the likes of {{wp|Spain}}, {{wp|Sweden}}, and {{wp|Greece}}, {{wp|England national football team|England}}, thanks to a resouding 5-3 victory over {{wp|Spain}}, a similarly huge 4-1 victory over {{wp|Greece}}, and a narrow 1-0 win over {{wp|Sweden}}, easily progressed to the following knockout stage, where in the following quarter-final match, thanks to a hat-trick by Carter, {{wp|England national football team|England}} comfortably defeated their {{wp|Dutch}} opponents 5-3 to meet {{wp|Spain}} once more in the semi-finals which they then defeated 5-2 with Carter himself contributing a vital hat-trick to break the 2-2 deadlock. Eventually, in the final match, {{wp|Germany}}, despite initially leading by 2-0 through goals from {{wp|Bastian Schweinsteiger}} and {{wp|Christoph Metzelder}}, were ultimately defeated by a dramatic comeback from {{wp|England national football team|England}} in the second half in which Carter's hat-trick, along with an additional goal by midfielder {{wp|James Milner}} allowed {{wp|England national football team|England}} to overcome their two-goal deficit and ultimately win the tournament outright 4-2, and therefore, the country's first-ever {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}} title, a milestone that was then popularly compared to {{wp|England national football team|England}}'s inaugural {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} glory where they defeated {{wp|West Germany}} 4-2 to win their first {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} title. The following year, as team captain, Carter guided {{wp|England national football team|England}} to a second-place finish at the {{wp|2009 FIFA Confederations Cup}} in {{wp|South Africa}} where following a 6-4 victory over {{wp|Germany}} in the semi-finals, a 1-3 defeat to {{wp|Brazil}} in the finals forced {{wp|England national football team|England}} to settle for a second-place finish instead.   

[[File:FL2010.jpg|200px|thumb|right|{{wp|England national football team|England}} and {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} midfielder {{wp|Frank Lampard}} whose infamous "ghost goal" in the round of 16 against {{wp|Germany}} was erroneously denied by the referee amidst claims pointing to the contrary. {{wp|England national football team|England}} later went on to win the match 7-6 on penalties following a 4-4 draw courtesy of a hat-trick from Carter.]]
Two years later, coming off their recent {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} and {{wp|UEFA European Championship}} triumphs, and despite some challenges in the group stages against the likes of the {{wp|United States}}, {{wp|Algeria}}, and {{wp|Slovenia}}, {{wp|England national football team|England}} proved quick to secure qualification to the knockout stages, winning against all except for the {{wp|United States}} where the two sides instead drew 1-1 in what was a reunion between Carter and former compatriot {{wp|Landon Donovan}} but this time on opposite teams. In the following round of 16 fixture against {{wp|Germany}}, which notably saw {{wp|Frank Lampard}}'s infamous "ghost goal" controversially disallowed by the referee, Carter established himself as one of the tournament's most memorable players when he later scored a decisive hat-trick in the 87th minute that effectively nullified the initial 4-1 lead the {{wp|Germans}} had previously enjoyed to then bring the match to a penalty shootout which {{wp|England national football team|England}} ultimately won 7-6 in what was later popularly referred to as the "Bloemfontein Miracle" in reference to the {{wp|Bloemfontein|city}} that the match had taken place. A subsequent brace from Carter soon added to a resounding 4-0 victory that knocked out {{wp|Argentina}} in the quarter-finals which he then followed up on with a crucial assist in the semi-finals where {{wp|England national football team|England}} defeated {{wp|Spain}} 2-0 to advance to the finals for the second consecutive time where Carter went on to score yet another brace to mark {{wp|England national football team|England}}'s dominant 5-0 win over the {{wp|Netherlands}}. Consequently, along with {{wp|Brazil}} and {{wp|Italy}}, {{wp|England national football team|England}} became just one of three nations to have ever won two {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cups}} in a row. Meanwhile, in the following year, Carter also captained {{wp|England national football team|England}} to a third-place finish at the {{wp|2013 FIFA Confederations Cup}} in {{wp|Brazil}}, where a narrow 1-2 loss to {{wp|Mexico}} in the semi-finals saw {{wp|England national football team|England}} successfully rebound to then deal {{wp|Uruguay}} a heavy 4-0 defeat in the third-place playoffs, thereby securing a third-place finish in the tournament.

[[File:Maracanã 2014 g.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The {{wp|Maracanã Stadium}} in {{wp|Rio de Janeiro}}, {{wp|Brazil}}, which saw {{wp|England national football team|England}} defeat {{wp|Argentina}} 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in what was famously called the "Falklands derby" in reference to the {{wp|Falklands War}} conflict between the two countries that lasted from 1982 to 1984.]]
Following their success in the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2012}} tournament, {{wp|England national football team|England}}, which Carter would come to captain for one final time, further qualified for the {{wp|2014 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Brazil}}. For the tournament, {{wp|England national football team|England}} found itself grouped with the likes of {{wp|Italy}}, {{wp|Uruguay}}, and {{wp|Costa Rica}}. Subsequently, despite a 0-0 draw with {{wp|Costa Rica}}, victories against {{wp|Italy}} and {{wp|Uruguay}} saw them progress easily to the knockout stages with their first opponent being {{wp|Colombia}} in the round of 16 who they dramatically defeated 7-6 on penalties following a 2-2 draw. Following this, {{wp|England national football team|England}} then faced hosts {{wp|Brazil}} in the quarter-finals where they proceeded to deal a crushing 5-1 victory with Carter's 88th-minute hat-trick in the match quickly evoking comparisons with his infamous hat-trick against the {{wp|South American}} country just a decade earlier at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}}. For the ensuing semi-finals fixture against {{wp|Germany}}, the two sides initially found themselves tied 1-1 after an early {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} goal was then equalised by a second-half goal from {{wp|Miroslav Klose}} afterward until a 65th-minute goal from Carter proved to be the essential tiebreaker, thereby allowing them to progress to the finals for a third consecutive time to face {{wp|Argentina}} where following a 53rd-minute goal from Carter and a 79th-minute counter-goal from {{wp|Enzo Pérez}} the two sides subsequently faced one another in a penalty shootout that {{wp|England national football team|England}} ultimately won it 4-2 to secure a record-breaking third consecutive {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} title. Nonetheless, shortly after the celebrations concluded, Carter announced that the {{wp|2014 FIFA World Cup|2014}} edition would be his last for {{wp|England national football team|England}} while revealing that he would continue to remain with the national team for a further two years, leading many to assume that the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2016}} in {{wp|France}} would be his final tournament with {{wp|England national football team|England}}. To that end, despite voluntarily opting for a more substitute-like role in the coming years, as anticipated, Carter proved to be an ever-vital part of the squad, with his first feat in the tournament being a brace in a 2-0 win over {{wp|Slovakia}}. Then, after sitting out a 4-0 demolition over {{wp|Iceland}} in the round of 16, Carter scored once alongside his longtime teammates {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} and {{wp|Steven Gerrard}} to defeat hosts {{wp|France}} 3-1 in the quarter-finals, thereby facilitating a subsequent 2-1 victory over {{wp|Germany}} in the semi-finals and a commanding 4-1 win in the final over {{wp|Portugal}} where Carter faced his teammate-turned-rival {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}}. In the end, as expected, Carter promptly announced his retirement from international football, stating that after winning three consecutive {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cups}} and three straight {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}} titles with {{wp|England national football team|England}}, he felt that his job with the national team was complete and thus wanted to pass his role as {{wp|England national football team|England}}'s main striker onto the next generation with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s {{wp|Harry Kane}} immediately establishing himself as a mainstay of the national team in the wake of Carter's retirement.

With a total of 68 goals scored during his time with the {{wp|United States}} in 64 appearances, Carter is the country's all-time goalscorer. Meanwhile, his 171 goals also make him {{wp|England national football team|England}}'s all-time goalscorer as well as its second-most-capped player with 141 appearances. In this, he once held the special distinction of being the all-time goalscorer for two football confederations, namely {{wp|UEFA}} with {{wp|England national football team|England}} and {{wp|CONCACAF}} with the {{wp|United States}} until {{wp|Stern John}}, who represented the [[West Indies]], surpassed him in the latter with 70 goals to become {{wp|CONCACAF}}'s all-time goalscorer. Regardless, Carter is still the all-time goalscorer for {{wp|UEFA}} with 171 goals scored. Moreover, as the first and only nation to win the {{wp|FIFA World Cup}} thrice in a row, {{wp|England national football team|England}} was awarded the {{wp|Jules Rimet Trophy}} in 2014, a prized artifact that has since been on display at the {{wp|St George's Park National Football Centre}} at {{wp|Burton upon Trent}}, {{wp|Staffordshire}}. Prior to this, it was infamously stolen but later recovered by authorities prior to the {{wp|1966 FIFA World Cup}}, which {{wp|England national football team|England}} ended up winning, before being ultimately awarded in perpetuity to {{wp|England national football team|England}} in 2014 following their historic achievement. 

===Great Britain national football team===
[[File:Stuart Pearce (31651906441).jpg|250px|thumb|right|Former {{wp|English}} player and manager {{wp|Stuart Pearce}}, who managed the {{wp|Great Britain Olympic football team|Great Britain}}'s football team at the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}}.]]
Following the {{wp|United Kingdom}}'s successful bid to host the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}}, which would take place in the capital city of {{wp|London}}, in the months leading up to the event, Carter, owing to his largely successful track record with {{wp|England national football team|England}}, was quickly touted as a likely candidate for selection to the {{wp|Great Britain men's Olympic football team}}. However, on December 2011, in light of the impending {{wp|UEFA Euro 2012}} tournament that same year, it was announced by {{wp|The Football Association}} that none of the players chosen for the {{wp|England national football team|England}} squad for the tournament would be chosen for {{wp|Great Britain}} as well in order to reduce potential player fatigue caused by the relatively short twenty-day gap between the end of the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2012|Euro 2012}} tournament and the start of the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}}. 

Consequently, the potential omission of Carter from the final {{wp|Great Britain}} lineup proved to be a source of great controversy, with pundit {{wp|Gary Lineker}} bemoaning the "missed opportunity for {{wp|Britain}} to display perhaps their greatest footballer ever not just at the {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} but also at the {{wp|Olympics}}, an international event that is of much similar prestige and visibility". Despite this, some otherwise defended the decision to omit Carter from the {{wp|Olympics}}, citing the obvious issue of player fatigue and fixture congestion, with then-{{wp|Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport|Culture Secretary}} {{wp|Jeremy Hunt}} stating, ''"As delightful it would have been for Mr. Carter to represent {{wp|Great Britain}} at the {{wp|Olympics}}, we cannot absolutely forget that he also has his own duties for {{wp|England national football team|England}} in the {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} and {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}}, ones that are perhaps more important by comparison"''. However, {{wp|Stuart Pearce}}, the head coach appointed to manage {{wp|Great Britain}} at the ensuing {{wp|Olympics}}, said that Carter's inclusion, in spite of the risks and worries, "remains a possibility", adding, ''"Clearly, even getting a player onboard, especially one like Carter, is not an easy task with many factors at hand to consider. Ultimately, the final decision will be made after a few rounds of quick and productive talks that will help clarify the situation and put it to rest for good"''.   

Eventually, during a February 2012 interview with {{wp|Sky Sports}}, Carter revealed that he had been officially chosen for and is expected to captain the {{wp|Great Britain}} national team at the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}}, stating, ''"Without a doubt, there's the real issue of player fatigue and all that but for me, I have yet to personally experience that fatigue myself, meaning that even if it takes place just twenty days after another major tournament, I'll be ready to show the world a familiar face and the style of football that everyone has come to know and love me for"''. On 26 July 2012, Carter soon made his debut for {{wp|Great Britain}} in a group stage match against {{wp|Senegal}} at {{wp|Old Trafford}} which ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw following a late 82nd-minute equaliser by {{wp|Moussa Konaté (footballer)|Moussa Konaté}}. Nonetheless, in the following group stage match against the {{wp|United Arab Emirates}} at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}}, Carter went on to score his first and only hat-trick for {{wp|Great Britain}} to seal a commanding 6-1 victory over the {{wp|Emiratis}} before proceeding to score a brace in the third and final group stage fixture against {{wp|Uruguay}} at the {{wp|Millennium Stadium}} which saw the match end in a 3-0 win for {{wp|Great Britain}}. Then, in the ensuing quarter-final match against {{wp|South Korea|Korea}}, Carter scored a decisive 46th-minute tiebreaking goal shortly into the second half, allowing {{wp|Great Britain}} to reach the semi-finals via a narrow 2-1 win in which Carter, together with {{wp|Neil Taylor (footballer)|Neil Taylor}} and {{wp|Ryan Bertrand}}, helped deliver a crushing 5-0 win over {{wp|Brazil}}, thus qualifying them further to the finals where they proceeded to defeat {{wp|Mexico}} 2-0 to win the tournament outright with Carter personally adding a 40th-minute goal onto a previous 32nd-minute goal by teammate {{wp|Aaron Ramsey}} to deliver {{wp|Great Britain}}'s 2-0 victory in the finals. 

In the end, with a total of nine goals scored, Carter finished as the tournament's top scorer while his performance, described by the {{wp|BBC}} as "classy and brilliant as always", was mostly met with a positive reception by many with {{wp|Gary Lineker}} jokingly calling Carter "{{wp|Great Britain}}'s ultimate cheat code at the {{wp|Olympics}}" while ''{{wp|The Guardian}}'' hailed him as the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}}' "grand performer". Meanwhile, on his part, Carter remarked, ''"Some will say I should've done it, and some will say I shouldn't have done it, but at the end of the day, I gave the fans what they wanted, and frankly speaking, I feel great!"''.

==Post-Retirement==
===Ultra Ballon d'Or===
On 11 May 2019, in honour of his 40th birthday, ''{{wp|France Football}}'', in recognition of his "outstanding and one-of-a-kind achievement in football", exclusively awarded Carter the {{wp|Ultra Ballon d'Or}}, a one-off prize considered to be more prestigious than the standard {{wp|Ballon d'Or}} (of which he currently has fourteen in total) and even the equally rare {{wp|Super Ballon d'Or}} awarded to {{wp|Real Madrid}} legend {{wp|Alfredo Di Stefano}} who was notably crucial in establishing the club's dominance both domestically and abroad throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Featuring a gold-laden ball on top of a gold-laden vase with four outstretched "arms" covering the ball and which symbolically represents Carter's four record-breaking {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} trophies, the award has since been in his private possession along with his other footballing honours, reportedly in a locked room inside {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} for which an exclusive key possessed only by Carter himself is needed to enter.

Around September 2021, several media outlets reported that Carter had personally acquired the prestigious {{wp|Super Ballon d'Or}} formerly belonging to {{wp|Alfredo Di Stefano}} whose children opted to sell the late {{wp|Argentine}} footballer's memorabilia with the {{wp|Super Ballon d'Or}}, among other things, ended up being bought by an anonymous buyer during an auction event. In response, while neither confirming nor denying his rumoured ownership of the award, Carter remarked, ''"Wherever it is now, I dare say that an award of such incomparable prestige and status is currently in the hands of someone who deserves it the most among many others"''. On the other hand, one of {{wp|Alfredo Di Stefano|Di Stefano}}'s children, in an interview with {{wp|Marca (newspaper)|''Marca''}}, appeared to subtly suggest that Carter is indeed in possession of the award, stating, ''"Of course, out of principle, I won't say who actually bought it but the person who did was very special and who, by all means, really deserves to own it now"''.

===Football Honours===
In the aftermath of his retirement from football, {{wp|The Football Association}} announced that the {{wp|FA Community Shield}}, beginning from the {{wp|2020 FA Community Shield|2020}} edition, would instead feature Carter's own name on the trophy similar to that of the {{wp|Johan Cruyff Shield}} in the {{wp|Netherlands}}. To that end, the first edition since the rebranding was contested between {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} with the former ultimately winning it 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, on 30 August 2020, in commemorating the tenth anniversary of his first match for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, the club further named him "Life President", with club president {{wp|Enrique Cerezo}} stating, ''"For much of its long existence, no one other than William Carter has proven to be an unquestionably consequential and important player in delivering some of the club's greatest successes that it has ever seen, for which it is only right that he should be honoured with an extremely rare appointment of the kind"''. The occasion, held remotely via {{wp|Zoom Video Communications|Zoom}} due to {{wp|COVID-19}} restrictions, saw the attendance of the club's president and chief executive officer {{wp|Enrique Cerezo}} and {{wp|Miguel Ángel Gil Marín}} as well as current and several former {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} players with Carter himself being the event's guest of honour. In the meantime, for his services to football, Carter was later knighted by [[Alexandra, Queen of the British|Queen Alexandra]], his sister, thereby becoming "Sir William Carter" with the accompanying honours of knight grand cross of the {{wp|Order of the British Empire}}, the {{wp|Royal Victorian Order|Royal Williamite Order}}, and the {{wp|Royal Guelphic Order}}.

In 2021, along with longtime rival {{wp|Thierry Henry}} and the {{wp|Premier League}}'s all-time goalscorer {{wp|Alan Shearer}}, Carter was inducted into the {{wp|Premier League Hall of Fame}}, with {{wp|The Football Association}} chairman {{wp|Peter McCormick}} lauding Carter as the "greatest player in {{wp|Premier League}} history with an incomparable goalscoring prowess and an unmatched all-around talent". Similarly, {{wp|La Liga}} president {{wp|Javier Tebas}} hailed Carter as a "revolutionary player who effectively changed the landscape of {{wp|La Liga}}" while {{wp|United States Soccer Federation}} president {{wp|Cindy Parlow Cone}} described Carter as "the greatest player to have ever come from {{wp|America}}", adding that "without much doubt, all {{wp|Major League Soccer}} players, new or old, will be holding themselves to the highest standard embodied by none other than William Carter himself". In this, owing to his {{wp|American}} background, {{wp|ESPN}} once wrote, ''"In the {{wp|United States}}, where {{wp|basketball}} and {{wp|American football}} each has its icons in {{wp|Michael Jordan}} and {{wp|Tom Brady}}, {{wp|soccer}} has William Carter as its very own face and icon"''. {{wp|Christian Pulisic}}, who currently plays for {{wp|AC Milan}} and captains the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team}}, is often considered by many {{wp|American}} soccer fans to be Carter's spiritual successor.

On 11 May 2019, to celebrate his 40th birthday, Carter, an alumni of the {{wp|University of Manchester}}, was awarded an honorary doctorate by the institution, an honour that he later described as "one of the greatest to hold in my life". Meanwhile, following his historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} triumph as manager of {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, in a rare honour accorded to a professional athlete, Carter, known widely for his leadership qualities, was made an honorary {{wp|field marshal}} by the {{wp|British Army}}'s {{wp|Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the General Staff}} {{wp|General (United Kingdom)|General}} {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Roland Walker}} in a special ceremony at the {{wp|Royal Military Academy Sandhurst}}. 

===The FA Presidency===
In his capacity as {{wp|The Football Association}} president, Carter is known to be a somewhat vocal figure on several issues, including equal pay and player fatigue, having occasionally proposed several measures and initiatives meant to address both issues respectively. In this regard, Carter has also come to be known for his somewhat confrontational approach with the international governing body of {{wp|FIFA}}, who he has at times vocally criticised, especially those relating to the controversial hosting rights awarded to {{wp|Russia}} and {{wp|Qatar}} for the {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} as well as the organisation's decision to expand the size of major international tournaments including the {{wp|FIFA World Cup}} and the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} which he argued was placing more physical strain on players, especially those who have already played a considerable number of matches at club level. During a 2023 interview with {{wp|Sky Sports}}, Carter remarked, ''"The clear and unmistakable problem with these bloated and glorified expansions is that to some extent these decisions felt like it was about making more money for the executives at the top than it is to rather meaningfully better the game of football itself which is undoubtedly upheld by the tens of players around the world who will now surely be looking at playing a much larger number of physically demanding games or being temporarily excluded from some of the games so as to prevent them from essentially getting hurt from doing too much work than what the human body can take"''. 

In recent years, Carter has also been a vocal figure against what he deemed to be the "oilification" of the {{wp|Premier League}}, pointing to the state ownership of football clubs {{wp|Manchester City}} and {{wp|Newcastle United}} by the {{wp|United Arab Emirates}} and {{wp|Saudi Arabia}} respectively in which both countries are similarly authoritarian states in the {{wp|Middle East}}. In addition, Carter has also spoken against the trend of famous {{wp|European}} football stars such as {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}}, {{wp|N'Golo Kanté}}, {{wp|Karim Benzema}}, and {{wp|Neymar}} to the {{wp|Saudi Pro League}}. Describing the trend as "Chinese Super League 2.0", Carter remarked, ''"Not too long ago, we saw a particular country trying to jump-start their footballing industry by bringing in big {{wp|European}} names often with huge salaries and whatnot. Now, it's clear that such a trend has emerged once again, and unless a sudden miracle arises, it's safe to say that this one will perhaps meet the same impending demise as its predecessor had, namely the fate of being a mere afterthought on the minds of most footballing fans who would perhaps care more about the league for its audacious stories rather than its footballing quality"''. Meanwhile, beginning from around late 2023, amidst reports of players including {{wp|Jordan Henderson}} and {{wp|Karim Benzema}} looking to leave the {{wp|Saudi Pro League}}, Carter slyly remarked, ''"It's quite a surprise that after just a year or so, some of these very generous and charitable football stars are looking to leave already. Logically speaking, how are they going to help grow the very terrific {{wp|Saudi}} football scene within just a year or so? As everyone knows, {{wp|Rome}} was not built in a day, and the glorious {{wp|Saudi}} football project would certainly take much longer than that to be completed"''. 

Subsequently, after spending several months in {{wp|Saudi Arabia}}, {{wp|Jordan Henderson|Henderson}} did indeed return to {{wp|Europe}}, namely in the form of a transfer to the {{wp|Eredivisie}} club {{wp|AFC Ajax|Ajax}}, a move described by Carter as a "grand reckoning", adding that despite the former's history, {{wp|Jordan Henderson|Henderson}} is unlikely to return to his former longtime club {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} anytime soon. Meanwhile, citing the case of {{wp|Jordan Henderson|Henderson}} itself, Carter subsequently called on {{wp|England national football team|England}} manager {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Gareth Southgate}} to consider any players who went to the {{wp|Saudi Pro League}} or similarly "low-level" leagues "effectively retired" and thus revoke their position in the national team, stating, ''"When a player is chosen to represent their country at the highest level, particularly a country like {{wp|England national football team|England}}, the undefeated champions over two decades and counting, that player should normally be playing at the highest levels of football rather than the opposite so that when the regular club season ends, the player is ready to tackle the grueling challenges of international football where countries normally muster their best players available within a limited period of time. Thus, if a player chooses to relegate themselves to a lower class of football, for their own country's sake, they should already consider retiring from the national team rather than continuing to be a burden on their teammates and the country as a whole, thereby letting younger talents currently playing in the top leagues rightfully take their spots in the national team that the player has effectively revoked by moving to an inferior football league"''.

Despite his position being largely ceremonial, by virtue of his footballing legacy, some media outlets have thus spoke of Carter being an unusually powerful and influential president to the extent that he is said to ultimately possess the final say for important decisions done by {{wp|The Football Association}} relative to his role in the organisation. Most recently, Carter is said to have been the one who approved the hiring of {{wp|German}} manager {{wp|Thomas Tuchel}} as the new head coach of the {{wp|England national football team}} following the resignation of {{wp|Gareth Southgate}}, a rumour that received credence when Carter himself later vocally criticised detractors who opposed the appointment of {{wp|Thomas Tuchel|Tuchel}} on the basis of wanting an {{wp|English}}-born manager, stating, ''"Over the last twenty years or so, both of {{wp|England national football team|England}}'s men's and women's national teams have found much success under managers who either came from {{wp|England national football team|England}}, {{wp|Sweden}}, or the {{wp|Netherlands}}. With that in mind, it is quite foolish to say that only an {{wp|English}} manager can do the job properly when it's clear that those who aren't even born {{wp|English}} can do it just as well or even better by comparison"''. In this, he even particularly criticised former {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} manager {{wp|Harry Redknapp}} for the latter's negative reaction, stating, ''"Honestly, someone like {{wp|Harry Redknapp|Harry}} should be the last person talking about what or who makes a great manager in general. For four years at {{wp|THFC|Tottenham}}, one of the biggest clubs in {{wp|England national football team|England}}, he achieved nothing of note as manager while in that same time period, I, an {{wp|American}}-born man, won the {{wp|Premier League}} twice and the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} thrice, both in a row and, of course, I achieved a sextuple too while I'm at it. When compared, I think one of us is in a more credible position over the other to talk about who makes a good manager for a team or not"''. In this, amidst rumours that {{wp|Manchester City}} manager {{wp|Pep Guardiola}} was being considered as {{wp|Lee Carsley|Carsley}}'s permanent successor, it has been claimed that Carter, who is known for his well-publicised rivalry and antagonistic relationship with {{wp|Pep Guardiola|Guardiola}}, personally shot down suggestions of hiring the former, thereby leading to {{wp|Thomas Tuchel|Tuchel}}'s appointment.

===Political & Social Causes===
A vocal environmentalist, Carter has been an advocate of a "green market economy", supporting "eco-friendly" alternatives such as nuclear energy as well as electronic vehicles (EVs), the latter for which he has also advocated for mass commercialisation so as to lessen its traditionally expensive and luxurious status and therefore make it generally affordable for many, stating, ''"Just as how there are luxurious cars as well as the standard affordable ones running on gasoline, electric cars should also be the same way and not a strictly luxurious commodity for the ultra-rich but rather for all who will stand to benefit much in the future from acquiring it"''. In the meantime, Carter has also vocally expressed support for "cheap but effective" public transport as well as being in favour of {{wp|nuclear energy}}, stating in a 2019 interview, ''"By pure logic, it is a bit weird that the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, one of the world's major nuclear powers, is not seemingly exploiting its status for non-military purposes. After all, nuclear energy is obviously not just for bombing cities but also to power them more effectively than traditional energy sources"''. Since 2014, Carter has been a registered party member of the {{wp|Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats}} and has also actively supported the ultimately successful Remain campaign in favour of the {{wp|United Kingdom}} remaining within the {{wp|European Union}}. Regardless, in spite of his party affiliation, Carter is said to be "close friends" with former {{wp|Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative}} prime minister {{wp|David Cameron}}, whom he once referred to as "a close friend of mine named David but not the one who plays football", referencing fellow {{wp|English}} football legend {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|David Beckham}}.

Around May 2023, in response to a temporary ban imposed on {{wp|English}} footballer and {{wp|Brentford F.C.|Brentford}} forward {{wp|Ivan Toney}} by authorities on several counts of rule-breaking betting, Carter has vocally advocated for a "complete purge" of gambling-related entities from football, particularly {{wp|Sky Bet}} which has been the main sponsor for the {{wp|EFL Championship}}, stating, ''"Admittedly, the {{wp|EFL Championship|Championship}} might not be as prestigious as the {{wp|Premier League}} but that's not exactly and should not be the sole reason as to why a different company not related to gambling at all should not be chosen as the new sponsor"''. Pointing to the sponsorship of the {{wp|Ligue 2}} and {{wp|Serie B}} leagues by {{wp|Indian}} tyre company {{wp|Balkrishna Industries}}, Carter has at times called for a "{{wp|British}} non-gambling alternative" to be considered as the new sponsor and successor to {{wp|Sky Bet}}. Later, Carter would again call for the "complete eradication of the disease of gambling from football" after {{wp|Italian}} footballer {{wp|Sandro Tonali}}, who plays as a midfielder for {{wp|Newcastle United}}, was also banned from footballing activities over gambling offenses.

===Media Career===
Initially, during the period between his retirement as a player and his subsequent appointment as a football manager, owing to his vast footballing knowledge and experience, Carter briefly worked as a sports analyst for {{wp|BBC Sport}} and {{wp|Sky Sports}} with a particular interest on matches involving his former club {{wp|Manchester United}}. However, his sudden appointment as head coach of {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} late into the 2019-20 {{wp|Premier League}} season meant that his time was devoted more towards the club rather than his fledgling media career. Nonetheless, despite his newfound role, Carter continued to appear on {{wp|BBC Sport}} from time to time, presenting opinions in his capacity as {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} head coach. 

Following his retirement as head coach of {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} at the end of the 2022-23 season, Carter promptly returned to the media scene as the occasional football pundit and sports analyst. Then, in the aftermath of the 2023-24 footballing season, shortly after former {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} player {{wp|Ian Wright}} announced his departure from the {{wp|BBC One}} program ''{{wp|Match of the Day}}'' as a longstanding main presenter, Carter was announced as the former's replacement for the ensuing 2024-25 season and onwards alongside compatriots {{wp|Theo Walcott}} and {{wp|Joe Hart}}. The hiring of Carter, which was announced on the {{wp|BBC}}'s {{wp|Instagram}} page, was met with overwhelmingly positive reception owing to his status as the most decorated footballer. Similarly, {{wp|Gary Lineker}}, having presented ''{{wp|Match of the Day}}'' since 1999, thus making him the program's longest presenter, spoke of "much excitement ahead" in working with Carter on the show, stating, ''"A few years after I had left football, Carter burst onto the scene and, as anyone who has watched even a minute of football would tell you, made an absolute name for himself as one of the beautiful game's greatest players in history. Now, the fact that we would be working together daily on Match of the Day is nothing short of exciting and I cannot wait to hear his perspective on the beautiful game derived from his two decades worth of experience"''.

==Managerial Career==
===Tottenham Hotspur===
[[File:Estadio Benfica April 2013-1.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Estádio da Luz}} in {{wp|Lisbon}}, {{wp|Portugal}}, where {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} won its first-ever {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title following a 2-1 win over {{wp|Bundesliga}} champions {{wp|Bayern Munich}} in a match played behind closed doors due to the {{wp|COVID-19 pandemic}}.]]
A self-professed "champion of the underdogs", following his retirement, Carter had initially voiced interest in coaching perceived "underdog" clubs such as the likes of {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}. Soon enough, the firing of {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s {{wp|Mauricio Pochettino}} amidst a poor start to the 2019-20 season on November 19th provided the much-awaited opportunity, with Carter himself being quick to apply for the now vacant position of club manager which he was subsequently granted the following day by club chairman {{wp|Daniel Levy (businessman)|Daniel Levy}} with the promise of establishing a "beautiful and deadly attacking style of play" and "achieving the impossible". Following this, Carter's first match in charge came to be an away fixture against {{wp|West Ham United}} on November 23rd that ended in a 3-2 win for {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} which was then followed just a week later with a similar 3-2 win over {{wp|AFC Bournemouth|Bournemouth}} and a 2-1 win on December 4th at {{wp|Old Trafford}} with Carter emerging triumphant against his former club {{wp|Manchester United}}. Then, after a dominant 5-0 win over {{wp|Burnley F.C.|Burnley}} on December 7th, Carter also secured a victory against another major club in {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}, who the club defeated 1-0 via a 37th-minute goal from {{wp|Christian Eriksen}}. Following this, wins against {{wp|Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion}} and {{wp|Norwich City}}, the latter particularly falling to a {{wp|Harry Kane}} hat-trick, saw him manage to make it eight matches unbeaten by the end of the year in stark contrast to the club's otherwise poor start to the season beforehand. Then, following an unexpected 0-0 draw against {{wp|Southampton F.C.|Southampton}} on January 1st, Carter was dealt his first defeat just ten days later in a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} although this was promptly compensated for with a dramatic 2-1 win over {{wp|Watford F.C.|Watford}} in which a 94th-minute goal from {{wp|Christian Eriksen}} in extra time saw {{wp|THFC|Spurs}} successfully come back from defeat after a {{wp|Harry Kane}} equaliser. Following this, a sixteen-match unbeaten streak which included a 1-1 draw against {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} on February 22nd, coupled with dominant 3-0 wins over {{wp|Manchester United}} and {{wp|Leicester City}} and a 3-1 win over {{wp|CPFC|Crystal Palace}} in the final day saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} achieve a remarkable second-place finish with 87 points ahead of {{wp|Manchester City}} in third and behind {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} in first. 

Meanwhile, a 1-4 loss to {{wp|Manchester United}} in the {{wp|FA Cup}} and a narrow 2-3 defeat on aggregate to {{wp|Manchester City}} in the {{wp|EFL Cup}} saw Carter unable to win either domestic cup in his maiden season with the club. Regardless, after beginning his first {{wp|European}} campaign as head coach with a narrow 3-2 win over {{wp|RB Leipzig}}, Carter then faced his former mentor {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, whom he went on to defeat 3-2 in extra time before proceeding to remarkably defeat a star-studded {{wp|Paris Saint-Germain}} via a lone goal from {{wp|Son Heung-min}} and eventually reaching their first {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} final where a late {{wp|Tanguy Ndombele}} goal in extra time, the second after an initial goal by {{wp|Harry Kane}} that was canceled out by {{wp|Ivan Perišić}}, saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} win their first-ever {{wp|European}} title via a dramatic 2-1 win over {{wp|Bundesliga}} giants {{wp|Bayern Munich}}, breaking all the expectations from pundits who initially foresaw a comfortable win for the {{wp|German}} giants. Consequently, while Carter became the joint youngest manager with {{wp|José Mourinho}} to win the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, he was also now responsible for or was on the same team with the only two {{wp|Asian}} players in history to have won {{wp|Europe}}'s most prestigious football tournament, namely {{wp|Park Ji-sung}}, his former {{wp|Manchester United}} teammate, and {{wp|Son Heung-min}}, one of the players under his management at {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}. Regardless, following their maiden {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} triumph, the club went on to defeat {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} winners {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} 3-1 in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} and {{wp|Mexican}} side {{wp|Tigres UANL|Tigres}} 3-0 in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}}, thereby resulting in Carter, who initially assumed the position on an interim basis until the end of the season, to eventually formalise a four-year contract with the club as head coach after a surprisingly remarkable start that saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} win their first silverware in decades and also their first {{wp|European}} title, a feat that Carter himself admitted in a subsequent interview to be "beyond my wildest dreams", stating, ''"Truth be told, when I took the job, I just really wanted to try and at least have this down-on-its-luck club survive the rest of the season and get a respectable top five finish as they usually do. To somehow win the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} on the first try was not exactly on my bucket list but, if given the chance to relive it again, I would gladly do so in a heartbeat"''. 

[[File:HK2021.png|200px|thumb|left|{{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} forward {{wp|Harry Kane}} in action during a 3-0 win over {{wp|Manchester United}} where he scored twice through penalties.]]
In the following 2020-21 season, Carter started rather promisingly with a dominant 4-1 win over {{wp|Everton F.C.|Everton}}, which he soon followed up on with an equally dominant 5-2 win over {{wp|Southampton F.C.|Southampton}}. Then, despite a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Newcastle United}}, Carter proved quick to steer the club back onto a dominant winning streak, defeating among others his former club {{wp|Manchester United}} 6-1, {{wp|Manchester City}} 2-0, and {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} 3-0 while otherwise drawing 0-0 with defending champions {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}. Regardless, on December 20th, the club was met with a shock 1-4 defeat to {{wp|Leicester City}} that ended a thirteen-match unbeaten streak although this was promptly made up for with a 2-0 win over {{wp|Wolverhampton Wanderers}} just a week later that preceded a subsequent 3-0 win over {{wp|Leeds United}} and a following 1-0 win over {{wp|Fulham F.C.|Fulham}}. In the meantime, the club also drew once again with {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} while also defeating {{wp|Brighton & Hove Albion}} 4-0 and losing to {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} 1-2. Meanwhile, a shock 3-1 win over {{wp|Manchester City}} would precede a 1-1 draw against {{wp|West Ham United}}, bringing much-renewed hope as {{wp|THFC|Spurs}} then marked a dominant 4-0 victory over {{wp|Burnley F.C.|Burnley}} along with a 2-1 win over {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and most notably a 3-0 win over {{wp|Manchester United}} which saw two penalties awarded to {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} and defender {{wp|Harry Maguire}} being sent off in the 76th minute. In the end, amidst a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Aston Villa}} on the penultimate day which preceded an otherwise triumphant 4-2 win over {{wp|Leicester City}}, the club notched a record-high of 91 points to become {{wp|Premier League}} champions for the first time in history, a feat that Carter himself described as "inevitable" owing to the club's second-place finish the season before. In the meantime, a narrow 2-3 loss to {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} saw Carter once again unable to win the {{wp|FA Cup}} with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}. A similar fate also befell them in the {{wp|EFL Cup}} final where a 1-2 loss to {{wp|Manchester City}} once again barred the club from winning either domestic cup. Nonetheless, a dramatic 7-6 win on aggregate against {{wp|La Liga}} giants {{wp|Real Madrid}}, followed by a firm 4-1 win over {{wp|Manchester City}} in which a brace from {{wp|Harry Kane}} which complemented {{wp|Gareth Bale}}'s goal and an {{wp|Aymeric Laporte}} own-goal saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} mark an unprecedented back-to-back {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} glory while also being just one domestic cup short of achieving an equally historic domestic treble. With this, the club then faced {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} winners {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}}, thereby pitting Carter against his younger brother [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Richard]] in a cup final for the first time. To that end, {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} ended up defeating their {{wp|North London}} rivals 5-3 on penalties following a 3-3 draw, followed by a 1-0 win over {{wp|Brazilian}} side {{wp|Palmeiras}} in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} and a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Leicester City}} in the {{wp|FA Community Shield|William Carter Shield}}.

In the ensuing 2021-22 season, despite an initial loss to {{wp|Leicester City}} in the {{wp|FA Community Shield|William Carter Shield}}, traditionally considered to be the new season's curtain-raiser, Carter's {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} otherwise made a rather promising start, defeating {{wp|Manchester City}} 1-0 in the opening match and {{wp|CPFC|Crystal Palace}} 3-2. However, on September 19th, Carter's club was dealt with a heavy 1-4 defeat to {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}, by a 1-1 draw with {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and a 2-1 win over {{wp|Aston Villa}} and a 3-1 win over {{wp|West Ham United}} in which {{wp|Harry Kane}} scored all three penalties to mark a hat-trick in the process. In the meantime, the club also snatched a narrow 2-1 win over Carter's former club {{wp|Manchester United}} despite the return of club legend and Carter's former teammate {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} to {{wp|Old Trafford}} along with a 3-0 win over {{wp|Norwich City}}. However, {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} were then met with a 0-2 defeat to {{wp|Liverpool}} which instead preceded a 3-0 comeback win over {{wp|CPFC|Crystal Palace}} and an ensuing 4-0 win over {{wp|Southampton F.C.|Southampton}}. Further down the road, in addition to a dominant 5-0 win over {{wp|Burnley F.C.|Burnley}}, the club also defeated the likes of {{wp|Manchester City}} and {{wp|Manchester United}} 3-2 and 3-1 respectively to make it twelve matches unbeaten which they only extended via dominant 5-1 and 4-0 wins over {{wp|Newcastle United}} and {{wp|Aston Villa}} to then make it sixteen unbeaten before a 0-2 loss to {{wp|Brighton & Hove Albion}} brought an end to the streak. Nonetheless, over the last few days remaining, {{wp|THFC|Spurs}} promptly rebounded with a 2-1 win over {{wp|Brentford F.C.|Brentford}}, a 3-1 win over {{wp|Leicester City}}, and a 3-0 win over {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} before eventually concluding the season with a dominant 5-0 win over {{wp|Norwich City}} at which point the club once again emerged {{wp|Premier League}} champions with a record 99 points. At the same time, {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} also proved successful in winning both domestic cups that year, for which they defeated {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} 1-0 in both the {{wp|FA Cup}} and {{wp|EFL Cup}} finals, thereby winning their first titles in both regards since 1990-91 and 1998-99 respectively. In the meantime, after defeating the likes of {{wp|Inter Milan}}, {{wp|Benfica}}, and {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}}, a lone goal by {{wp|Lucas Moura}} in a 1-0 win over {{wp|La Liga}} giants {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the finals saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} clinch a third straight {{wp|European}} title, a feat followed by separate 2-0 wins over {{wp|Eintracht Frankfurt}} and {{wp|Al Hilal SFC|Al Hilal}}, with the latter particularly falling to two goals by {{wp|Harry Kane}}. Following this, as both {{wp|Premier League}} and {{wp|FA Cup}} champions, {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} subsequently contested the ensuing {{wp|FA Community Shield|William Carter Shield}} with league runners-up {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}. In this, after both {{wp|Harry Kane}} and {{wp|Mohamed Salah}} scored once each to ultimately end the match in a 1-1 draw, an ensuing penalty shootout took place to determine the winner and {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, courtesy of a final 5-4 scoreline, emerged victorious, thereby making Carter one of only two {{wp|Premier League}} managers and three overall alongside his former managers {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Alex Ferguson}} and {{wp|Diego Simeone}} to achieve a sextuple.

On 6th August 2022, Carter started his final season as {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} manager rather promisingly, grabbing a 4-0 win over {{wp|Southampton F.C.|Southampton}} on the opening day. Then, a 1-1 draw against {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} on the second day, followed by several further victories along the way including a dominant 6-1 win over {{wp|West Ham United}}, saw Carter make it seven matches unbeaten straight while major victories afterward over both {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and former club {{wp|Manchester United}} extended it further to eleven matches unbeaten with a 1-3 loss to {{wp|Newcastle United}} on October 23rd bringing an end to the streak. Then, on January 1st 2023, Carter began the new year with a dominant 4-0 win over {{wp|Aston Villa}} which he quickly followed up on just three days later with an equally dominant 4-0 win over {{wp|CPFC|Crystal Palace}} although the new years' momentum was quickly cut short by subsequent defeats to {{wp|Manchester City}} and {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} respectively. Then, amidst a 0-0 draw against {{wp|Leicester City}} and a 2-3 loss to {{wp|Wolverhampton Wanderers}}, a 3-1 win over {{wp|NFFC|Nottingham Forest}} and a 4-2 win over {{wp|Everton F.C.|Everton}} saw the club under Carter rediscover their winning ways by the last few months during which they recorded a dominant 4-0 win over {{wp|AFC Bournemouth|Bournemouth}} and a 3-0 win over {{wp|Newcastle United}} although this was then followed by a 1-3 loss to {{wp|Manchester United}} and a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} respectively. Nonetheless, a draw against {{wp|Aston Villa}} and a 3-0 win over {{wp|Brentford F.C.|Brentford}} in the closing days ensured that {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} would finish the season with no further defeats as a 4-1 win over {{wp|Leeds United}} on the final day ensured a third-place finish with just one point behind runners-up {{wp|Manchester City}} while {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} secured their first league title in almost two decades. Meanwhile, after previous unsuccessful attempts, a dramatic 3-2 win over {{wp|Manchester United}} at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}} saw Carter successfully defend the club's {{wp|FA Cup}} title. Otherwise, despite recording a shock 3-1 win on aggregate over {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the quarter-finals, a lone goal from {{wp|Naby Keïta}} resulted in {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s elimination from the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} and thus the end of their title defence although Carter's half-brother [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Prince Richard]] later avenged the former's defeat by scoring a hat-trick to defeat {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} in the finals and deliver {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s first-ever {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} trophy. In any case, as was intended, Carter later announced the end of his time as head coach with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, stating, ''"After several undeniably eventful and challenging years with a remarkable football club like Tottenham Hotspur, it is only right that I should reward myself with some well-deserved rest after all was said and done"''.   

{{Quote box
 |quote  = "Even if it's just for four years long, I undoubtedly won and did things that others before me couldn't, and by all means, it was certainly a hundred times better than spending twenty years and winning nothing in the process."
 |author = Carter on his time with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}
 |source = 
 |width  = 50%
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In the aftermath of his retirement, the ensuing pre-season matches were overseen by former player {{wp|Ryan Mason}} who took over as interim coach until the club subsequently appointed former {{wp|Celtic F.C.|Celtic}} manager {{wp|Ange Postecoglou}} in time for the later 2023-24 season. Prior to his appointment, {{wp|Ange Postecoglou|Postecoglou}} had also previously managed the {{wp|Australia men's national soccer team|Australia men's national team}} from 2013 to 2017 as well as {{wp|A-League}} sides {{wp|Melbourne Victory FC|Melbourne Victory}} and {{wp|Brisbane Roar FC|Brisbane Roar}} and {{wp|J1 League}} side {{wp|Yokohama F. Marinos}}. Meanwhile, as the most decorated and successful {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} manager of recent times, supporters of the club initially launched a proposal to have the {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur Stadium}} renamed after Carter himself, citing the decision of {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to name their new stadium after Carter and head coach {{wp|Diego Simeone}}. However, the proposal itself was never fully implemented with an eventual compromise instead having the stadium's "North Stand" renamed to "Sir William Carter Stand" in his honour while a bronze statue depicting the likeness of him and former star player {{wp|Harry Kane}}, who subsequently transferred to {{wp|Bayern Munich}}, was erected in front of the stadium's entrance. Meanwhile, on 19 August 2023, for the opening to {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s first home match since Carter's departure, a commemorative montage was played prior to kick-off depicting the club's notable victories under his past tenure along with several of his memorable public moments before later concluding with the phrase "Thank You For Everything, Boss". Ironically, the club then went on to defeat {{wp|Manchester United}}, Carter's former club, 2-0 to secure their first win of the season. Following this, while ultimately finishing fifth in the league, {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} went on to reach their fourth {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} final, their first under {{wp|Ange Postecoglou|Postecoglou}}, where they faced derby rivals and defending champions {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}} but were otherwise defeated 1-3. 

==Personal Life==
[[File:DB9.png|250px|thumb|right|An {{wp|Aston Martin DB9}}, a two-door grand tourer produced by the {{wp|British}} carmaker {{wp|Aston Martin}}. Since its debut in 2005, it has served as Carter's primary vehicle and was famously depicted in {{wp|Spectre (2015 film)|''Spectre''}}, the 2015 entry of {{wp|James Bond}}.]]
Despite being the firstborn child of [[Thomas, King of the British|King Thomas]], Carter is ultimately ineligible to later succeed his father to the throne given the fact that he had been born out of wedlock and that his parents, despite an almost two-decade-long relationship, were never officially married, thereby preventing him from being included in the line of succession to the throne. Despite this, Carter himself has expressed some gratefulness for his current circumstances, stating that the fact that he would never likely succeed to the throne in the near future due to his ineligibility meant that he was free to pursue a career of his own for as long as he wanted while also not being burdened by the thoughts of his future duties as monarch. Otherwise, despite being born exactly seventeen years apart, Carter shares the same birthday as [[Alexandra, Queen of the British|Alexandra]], his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]]'s oldest child by his {{wp|Christy Turlington|wife}}. In this, the two coincidentally share another similarity in that both of their maternal grandfathers are of {{wp|English}} ancestry while their maternal grandmothers are of {{wp|Spanish}} heritage with Carter's maternal grandmother Juana Córdova hailing from {{wp|Mexico}} and [[Alexandra, Queen of the British|Alexandra]]'s maternal grandmother Maria Elizabeth Turlington from {{wp|El Salvador}}. Consequently, in addition to being able to represent the {{wp|United States}} or {{wp|England national football team|England}} in international football, Carter, by virtue of his maternal grandmother, was also eligible to represent {{wp|Mexico}}, a choice that he otherwise did not ever seriously considered, having once said, ''"While it is true that I have some {{wp|Hispanic}} roots through my maternal grandmother, on a personal level, I ultimately feel more {{wp|English}} than {{wp|Hispanic}} and thus playing for {{wp|Mexico}}, even if I was actually allowed to, would feel very weird, not least because I didn't even learn to speak {{wp|Spanish}} until I was in my thirties!"''. Meanwhile, amidst questions over his perceived public identity, with the long time spent in {{wp|Europe}} and with the {{wp|England national football team}} leading many to refer to him as "{{wp|English}}", Carter has said that he preferred to be called "{{wp|American}}-{{wp|English}}" rather than by either nationality, stating, ''"In the end, I was born in the {{wp|United States}} and my mother is an {{wp|American}} while my father is {{wp|British}}. Honestly, I don't see any problem with simply acknowledging the fact that I can be both at the same time rather than just throwing one nationality out for the other"''.

Owing to his global popularity as a football icon, Carter has been extensively portrayed or depicted in various forms of media, with his likeness being used in the widely popular {{wp|FIFA (video game series)|''FIFA''}} football video game series. In addition, Carter has made a number of cameo appearances as himself on the {{wp|Apple TV+}} sports comedy series ''{{wp|Ted Lasso}}'' alongside other footballing figures such as {{wp|Thierry Henry}}, {{wp|Gary Lineker}}, {{wp|Ian Wright}}, and {{wp|Pep Guardiola}}. Moreover, Carter has also appeared in various sports documentaries including ''{{wp|The June 30th Miracle: Ten Years On}}'', ''{{wp|The Fables of the Fabulous Four}}'', ''{{wp|Eriksson: The Unlikely Legend}}'', ''{{wp|All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur}}'', and ''{{wp|The Spursy Fantasy}}'', with ''{{wp|All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur}}'' later being met with rare, overwhelming applause from critics for its "biting" and "thrilling" underdog narrative. Among others, Carter also appeared alongside several fellow footballers in the music video for the 2010 single {{wp|Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)}} by {{wp|Colombian}} singer {{wp|Shakira}}, a promotional song for the {{wp|2010 FIFA World Cup}} that was hosted by {{wp|South Africa}}. Meanwhile, as one of the most well-known and marketable athletes of his generation, Carter has been a partner in a huge number of lucrative sponsorships including {{wp|Adidas}}, {{wp|Armani}}, {{wp|Under Armour}}, {{wp|Coca-Cola}}, {{wp|Ford Motor Company|Ford}}, {{wp|Mercedes-Benz}}, {{wp|Rolls-Royce Motor Cars|Rolls-Royce}}, {{wp|Rolex}}, and {{wp|Louis Vuitton}}, all of which, combined with his high wage payments and other financial bonuses, make him one of the richest athletes in the world with an estimated net worth of $2.09 billion, the highest for a professional footballer, thereby making him one of the world's few billionaire athletes alongside {{wp|Michael Jordan}} and {{wp|Tiger Woods}}. Much like {{wp|Michael Jordan|Jordan}}, whom he has admitted to taking much inspiration from in building up his own wealth independent from that of his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]]'s, Carter also lent his name to his own line of footwear, namely {{wp|Adidas}}'s {{wp|King Carter}} sneakers that, since its debut in 2002, has been met with much success globally.  

Moreover, his {{wp|Instagram}} account, bearing the username @reallywilliamcarter, has a rough amount of 742 million followers, thereby making him the most followed person and athlete on {{wp|Instagram}}, followed by his rivals {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} and {{wp|Lionel Messi}}. Similarly, his {{wp|Twitter}} account, prior to its deactivation in the aftermath of billionaire {{wp|Elon Musk}}'s takeover of the platform around October 2022, boasted roughly 126 million followers, making him the platform's most-followed athlete and second overall behind {{wp|Elon Musk|Musk}}. Given the immediate impact of his withdrawal from the site, Carter later said, ''"Ultimately, I'm a professional footballer, not a social media influencer. The number of followers that I have, most of whom I don't even personally know, didn't make me relevant but rather the many titles that I won throughout my two-decades-long career. Even if I were to leave social media completely, my fame and legacy would never fade because what I did and achieved as an athlete will be remembered for generations to come. The great late {{wp|Pelé}} didn't need social media to become world famous so why am I any different?"''. Nonetheless, since his withdrawal from {{wp|Twitter}}, Carter has continued to remain on social media, mainly on {{wp|Instagram}}, and is known to have occasionally criticised {{wp|Elon Musk|Musk}} for his controversial ownership of {{wp|Twitter}}, having once described it as a "global embarrassment" and likening it to "making some mediocre kid the team captain just because he is the owner or manager's son". 

A polyglot, Carter is known to be fluent in several languages including his native {{wp|English}}, {{wp|German}}, {{wp|Spanish}}, and {{wp|Hebrew}}, with {{wp|Spanish}} being his preferred language of choice during his time at {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}. In this, during his early years, Carter initially possessed a standard {{wp|Californian}} accent due to his more {{wp|American}} upbringing before later switching to a more {{wp|British}}-sounding accent after his move to the {{wp|United Kingdom}} so as to better fit in with his {{wp|England national football team|England}} teammates. Similarly, his younger sister [[Jacqueline Carter|Jacqueline]], who later found work at the {{wp|British Broadcasting Corporation}}, also adopted a more {{wp|British}}-sounding accent, having once said, ''"In its entire history, when has a {{wp|BBC}} presenter ever spoke and didn't sound {{wp|British}} at all? It would surely be very awkward if otherwise, and I'll prefer to avoid that by any means necessary"''. Nonetheless, Carter himself is known for being able to easily switch between his two main accents, which he usually does whenever he is in either country and therefore needed to sound "local". 

{{multiple image
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 | footer    = The former tennis players {{wp|Steffi Graf}} (left) and {{wp|Maria Sharapova}} (right), both of whom, as of current, are the only two women alongside [[Prince Nelson of the United Kingdom|Prince Nelson]] to have won the {{wp|Golden Slam}} and all four {{wp|Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam}} majors four times or more. By virtue of marriage, {{wp|Steffi Graf|Graf}} is Carter's aunt-in-law while Carter himself is a godfather to {{wp|Maria Sharapova|Sharapova}}'s son Theodore by her fiance, {{wp|British}} businessman {{wp|Alexander Gilkes}}.
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}}
An automobile enthusiast, Carter is said to own a modest collection of high-end and luxury vehicles. In this, his first vehicle was reportedly a {{wp|BMW M3}} which he often drove while living in the {{wp|United States}}. However, since his move to the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, Carter came to acquire a number of other high-end vehicles including an {{wp|Aston Martin DB9}}, his primary vehicle, a {{wp|McLaren 570S}}, a {{wp|Mercedes-Benz CLS}}, and a {{wp|Range Rover Sport}}. At the same time, much like his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]], Carter is also known for his love of motorcycles. Meanwhile, aside from his main residence in {{wp|London}}, Carter also owns several properties in several places, namely in {{wp|Los Angeles}}, {{wp|California}}, {{wp|Madrid}}, {{wp|Spain}}, and {{wp|Manchester}}, {{wp|England national football team|England}}, cities that were also home to the football clubs that he previously played for. In one interview, Carter also revealed how upon moving to {{wp|Germany}} by himself to join {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}} at the age of twenty, faced with an initial lack of friends and known contacts in a largely foreign country, he chose to stay at the family home of his aunt-in-law {{wp|Steffi Graf}}, whose father {{wp|Steffi Graf|Peter}}, upon being made aware of Carter's relation to his daughter, chose to accommodate Carter during his stay in {{wp|Germany}}. To that end, the Graf family property, located in {{wp|Brühl (Rhineland)|Brühl}}, proved a convenient choice as it was within distance of {{wp|Leverkusen}}, with both cities being located in the state of {{wp|North Rhine-Westphalia}}, thereby allowing Carter to commute between his home and work with relative ease. In this, when asked about her favourite football club, {{wp|Steffi Graf|Graf}} revealed herself to be a lifelong supporter of {{wp|Bayer 04 Leverkusen}} and was thus "thrilled" by her nephew's exploits with the club throughout the early 2000s.

A member of a prestigious sporting family, Carter is the half-brother of professional footballers [[Alexandra, Queen of the British|Alexandra]] and [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Richard]], the nephew of retired world No.1 tennis player [[Prince Nelson of the United Kingdom|Prince Nelson]], as well as the cousin of professional basketball player [[Corey Rodman]] who currently plays as a {{wp|point guard}} for the {{wp|Golden State Warriors}} of the {{wp|National Basketball Association}} and has three {{wp|NBA}} titles and {{wp|Olympic Games|Olympic}} gold medals respectively to his name. In addition, {{wp|Steffi Graf}}, a celebrated former {{wp|German}} tennis player, is his aunt-in-law by marriage to his uncle [[Prince Nelson of the United Kingdom|Prince Nelson]], a similarly celebrated former tennis player. Otherwise, although unrelated, Carter is known to also be rather friendly with the {{wp|American}} basketball player {{wp|Stephen Curry}}, a teammate of his [[Corey Rodman|cousin]] at the {{wp|Golden State Warriors}} and whom he once hailed as a "basketball genius" for his emphasis on three-pointers, and the {{wp|Spanish}} tennis player {{wp|Rafael Nadal}}, whom he met and befriended while playing in {{wp|Spain}} for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}. Ironically, despite {{wp|Rafael Nadal|Nadal}}'s support for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}'s city rivals {{wp|Real Madrid}}, the two sporting icons are said to be on fairly warm terms with each other as {{wp|Rafael Nadal|Nadal}} himself later attended Carter's final match, namely the {{wp|2019 UEFA Champions League Final}}. In addition to this, Carter is also known to be fairly close with {{wp|Russian}} tennis star {{wp|Maria Sharapova}}, having first knew the {{wp|Russian}} through his uncle and tennis great [[Prince Nelson of the United Kingdom|Prince Nelson]], whom {{wp|Maria Sharapova|Sharapova}} generally regards as her "father figure" in the sport.

Despite having mostly avoided politics during his heyday as an athlete, following his retirement, Carter revealed himself to be a politically liberal individual, being a supporter of the {{wp|Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party}} in the {{wp|United States}} and the {{wp|Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats}} in the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, with the latter party currently led by his younger sister {{wp|Dame}} [[Jacqueline Carter]]. In 2002, Carter received his {{wp|Presidential Medal of Freedom}} award in the light of his historic {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} victory from {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Al Gore}}, a {{wp|Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat}}. 

===Relationships===
{{Main|Personal Life (William Carter): Romances}}
Since 2014, Carter has been married to the {{wp|American}} actress {{wp|Anne Hathaway}}, with whom he has four children, including a pair of fraternal twins named William and Anne. The couple was said to have first met during the premiere of {{wp|The Devil Wears Prada (film)|''The Devil Wears Prada''}} which starred {{wp|Anne Hathaway}} alongside the likes of {{wp|Emily Blunt}}, {{wp|Meryl Streep}}, and {{wp|Stanley Tucci}}. After subsequently leaving their respective romantic partners, the couple began a discreet romantic relationship that eventually culminated in their wedding on 21 July 2014 at {{wp|Oheka Castle}} in {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}, {{wp|United States}}, a private estate belonging to the {{wp|British royal family}}. 

Prior to his relationship with {{wp|Anne Hathaway|Hathaway}}, Carter was in a relationship with the {{wp|Brazilian}} supermodel {{wp|Gisele Bündchen}}, his romantic partner from 2004 to 2007. The couple first met at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup Final}} in {{wp|Yokohama}}, {{wp|Japan}} where {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}} personally witnessed {{wp|Brazil}}'s infamous 0-5 loss to the {{wp|United States}} that was captained by Carter himself. A similarly secretive and discreet affair, the couple's relationship lasted for several years long before they eventually decided to part ways with Carter later marrying the actress {{wp|Anne Hathaway}} while {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}} married the {{wp|American}} football quarterback {{wp|Tom Brady}}, whom she later divorced in 2022. Somewhat coincidentally, {{wp|Tom Brady|Brady}}, regarded as among the best football quarterbacks, spent much of his career in the {{wp|National Football League}} with the {{wp|New England Patriots}}, a franchise owned by Carter's [[Thomas, King of the British|father]], although subsequent reports indicate that the two men only occasionally crossed paths and are said to have maintained generally lukewarm relations despite them being considered as top athletes in their respective sports and their shared history through {{wp|Brazilian}} supermodel {{wp|Gisele Bündchen}}.

==Style of Play==
{{Quote box
 |quote  = "Almost immediately, with the way he played and the way he conducted himself both on and off the pitch, I knew that he was destined for something remarkable and that right in front of my eyes stood someone special and entirely different from the other players around him."
 |author = Former head coach {{wp|Octavio Zambrano}} on Carter's early years at {{wp|LA Galaxy}}
 |source = 
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}}
Considered to be one of the greatest and most complete strikers of all time, Carter is known for several qualities that defined his reputation which includes an exceptional pace, high work-rate, remarkable dribbling skills, an unmatched goalscoring prowess, as well as excellent overall vision and creativity, with former {{wp|Manchester United}} head coach {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Alex Ferguson}} describing Carter as "the most complete of all the strikers I've had", adding, ''"From what I've seen, some strikers can only do a certain set of things while others can do their own set of things only and there's Carter who can essentially do almost everything a striker needs to in one go"''. In addition, with a height of 1.80 metres, his relatively tall stature also allowed Carter to occasionally function as a "target man" with a knack for scoring close-range headers and in spite of his physical attributes Carter nonetheless proved to be a quick and agile striker able to both outrun his opponents and place himself in ideal positions. Moreover, Carter is also widely regarded for his excellent first touches and perfect composure, both of which made him a very press-resistant player who rarely loses the ball to opponents who tend to man-mark him rather often. Former {{wp|Brazil}} and {{wp|Bayern Munich}} defender {{wp|Lúcio}}, who faced Carter in the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup Final}}, described him as one of his most difficult opponents ever, stating, ''"He is always on the move and you never really know when he was about to shoot the ball or not. Quite simply, he's very unpredictable and to even counter him you always have to think many steps ahead which is already a lot to do in itself"''. A dedicated student of the {{wp|Total Football}} system and philosophy, despite being mostly known for his role as a forward, Carter also occasionally experimented as a winger, a second striker, an attacking midfielder, or even as a deep-lying playmaker in a more central position.

Having scored a season's average of an impressive forty goals while also playing a season's average of thirty-four matches over the course of his later playing years, Carter has also received much applause and credit for his longevity especially given he was able to almost match the goalscoring rates of rivals {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} and {{wp|Lionel Messi}} with both players being at least several years younger than Carter who by then was already into his thirties. Regarding this, Carter has credited a mix of an "appropriate and efficient training regimen" and a "strict but healthy diet" that allowed him to maintain an almost consistent performance at the highest level even as he aged into his late thirties, a period where most elite strikers normally saw a noticeable decline in their performances. In addition, playing under the somewhat defensive and counter-attacking style of {{wp|Diego Simeone}} crucially allowed Carter to conserve his energy as he aged while otherwise utilising most of it in short bursts hence his ability to score the usual amount of goals even in his later years. In this, his preference for walking rather slowly on the pitch before suddenly sprinting with rapid pace led some pundits to liken his playing style at {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to a cheetah, a comparison that head coach {{wp|Diego Simeone}} even supported, having once said, ''"If the pitch is a jungle, Guillermo (William) would be our cheetah silently walking and prowling about before suddenly bursting into life almost immediately once he saw his prey who will find it really hard to outrun him. For us, a goal from him is like a cheetah having finally captured its prey"''. In addition to his offensive capabilities, Carter has received much credit from teammates and pundits for his defensive work in spite of his traditional role as a forward whereby he would often make well-timed tackles and precise interceptions whenever the opposition team is in possession of the ball while also being actively involved in pressing opponents up high on the pitch in order to immediately win the ball back and create a goalscoring opportunity right away near the opposition's penalty area. Aside from this, Carter is also well-known for his tendency to drop deep into the midfield area where he usually establishes strong link-up plays with his teammates before proceeding to carry the ball forward past opposition defenders. 

{{Quote box
 |quote  = "From the years I spent with him together at {{wp|Manchester United}} and {{wp|England national football team|England}}, he was undoubtedly one of the most committed and driven players that I've ever seen in my life. When necessary, he puts in a hundred percent and it's only natural that others follow suit as well."
 |author = Former {{wp|England national football team|England}} footballer {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Rio Ferdinand}} on Carter's professionalism
 |source = 
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Aside from his widely-acclaimed footballing prowess, Carter is perhaps most well known for his somewhat extreme sense of professionalism and exemplary work ethic, traits that would come to mark his footballing career along with his distinction of having a somewhat "clean" and relatively "unproblematic" reputation which Carter himself later admitted to be both natural and deliberate, stating, ''"When I realised that I have a younger sister who's really into football and who's definitely going to be looking up to me as inspiration, I knew that by all means necessary I have to set an example and be a good role model for her so that she could truly love and appreciate the game especially through someone familiar to her which is none other than her own older brother"''. In 2019, former {{wp|Manchester United}} and {{wp|England national football team|England}} teammate {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} described Carter as "every bit of a perfectionist, a total disciplinarian, and a 100% type of an outstanding player", adding, ''"Whenever a big match comes up, out of all the eleven men on the field, he will definitely be the most focused and composed man of them all"''. Moreover, former {{wp|England national football team|England}} and {{wp|Manchester United}} defender {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Rio Ferdinand}}, who once publicly criticised the perceived laziness and laid-back attitude shown by the {{wp|England national football team|England}} internationals during the {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Germany}}, has also heaped much praise on his former teammate, stating, ''"Out of all the guys that were in {{wp|Germany}} back then for the {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}}, I think William was the only one that had the game 100% in his mind since not to mention, he had just won one four years back, and because of that, he had that unstoppable sense of drive and passion of winning a second one right afterward, meaning that he will never take a tournament like the {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} rather lightly until it is over"''. Accordingly, former {{wp|England national football team|England}} manager {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson}} also recounted Carter's overall behaviour during the last few training sessions for the {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} in {{wp|Germany}}, adding how the former {{wp|England national football team|England}} star was "the first to come and the last to leave" during most training sessions and that the latter "always gave his 100%, or perhaps 105%, each time without fail". 

In line with his most famous nickname of "The General", throughout much of his playing years, Carter came to acquire a well-known reputation for possessing a somewhat formidable and commanding presence on the pitch as well as a natural assertive leader with former {{wp|England national football team|England}} manager {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson}} describing the former as "someone naturally born to be a leader with his own set of loyal followers and subordinates". In particular, during high stakes matches such as a {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} final, Carter was known for his "calm and reasonable yet aggressive and uncompromising" demeanor during dressing room meetings with former {{wp|England national football team|England}} teammate {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} once stating, ''"In most cases, if you did well then you'll receive the most praises you'll ever get in your life but if you did badly then you'll get the most berating and scolding you'll ever get in your life instead"''. Similarly, former {{wp|United States}} teammate {{wp|Landon Donovan}}, recounting Carter's final dressing room speech just prior to the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup Final}} against {{wp|Brazil}}, said, ''"For all the many years I spent with the national team, that dressing room speech was probably the only time I ever felt 100% sure about something in a very long time"''. In a 2017 {{wp|BBC Sport}} interview, Carter admitted that his hardline approach as captain made him an "enemy of some guys who didn't take it too well" but asserted that the results, which included back-to-back {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} and {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}} triumph, were otherwise indicators for the success of his leadership style, stating, ''"People could argue all they want if my leadership style was the right way to go but the simple fact is that for forty years before I arrived, a lot of great players tried their hand in becoming the national team captain yet neither of them was able to win the World Cup again since 1966"''. 

As of 2024, Carter is just one of only eight footballers in history to have won the {{wp|FIFA World Cup}}, the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, and the {{wp|Ballon d'Or}}. Others on the list include {{wp|Johan Cruyff}}, {{wp|Gerd Müller}}, {{wp|Franz Beckenbauer}}, and {{wp|Paolo Rossi}}, as well as fellow compatriots {{wp|Bobby Charlton}}, {{wp|Harry Kane}}, and his own half-brother [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Prince Richard]]. In this, Carter, {{wp|Harry Kane|Kane}}, and [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Richard]], all three of whom are {{wp|English}}, are the only ones still alive.

==Managerial Style==
Despite his relatively short time as a football manager, particularly compared to other great names including {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Alex Ferguson}}, {{wp|Carlo Ancelotti}}, {{wp|Arsène Wenger}}, {{wp|Pep Guardiola}}, and others, Carter has otherwise been recognised by most observers as a shrewd and tactically astute manager during his time as head coach of {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} and, by some, one of the greatest managers given the success that he achieved within a relatively short time period and with a club not necessarily considered to be as historically dominant as the likes of {{wp|Real Madrid}}, {{wp|Manchester United}}, and {{wp|Bayern Munich}}. In this, while his preferred formation was the fairly popular 4-3-2-1 with the talented playmaker and goalscorer {{wp|Harry Kane}} up front, in one rare instance, Carter notably employed a 3-5-2 formation to defeat {{wp|Manchester City}} 5-2 in the {{wp|2021 UEFA Champions League Final}} which saw both {{wp|Son Heung-min}} and {{wp|Lucas Moura}} pulled backward into the wide midfielder positions in favour of a two-man strike pair up front consisting of {{wp|Harry Kane}} and {{wp|Gareth Bale}} whose partnership proved extremely effective against the {{wp|Manchester City}} defence, thereby leading to a dominant 4-1 win over their {{wp|English}} opponents amidst initial predictions favouring the {{wp|Manchester}} club.

In addition to his tactical knowledge, Carter is known for employing a variety of mind games against his opponents, particularly by often riling up club supporters and urging them to be as loud as they can in order to deliberately disorient or demotivate opposition players while also occasionally making deliberate provocations towards the opposition prior to a match. Regarding this, Carter said, ''"As someone who spent almost two decades in the sport, I know just how absolutely vital fans are to a match, especially the big ones between derby rivals or a cup final. For me, while both teams normally play with eleven players each, if the crowd is really on your side and is cheering your team on every step of the way, then it's no longer a contest between a team of eleven and another team of eleven but rather a team of a million against a team of eleven"''. Meanwhile, amidst criticism by some for the more "inflammatory" and "provocative" aspects of his "mind games", Carter replied, ''"Any of the controversial stuff about my mind games is no more violent than the average playground insult. At the same time, even when I am seemingly being very provocative, I always ensure that anything I do or say does not become too personal or touch on sensitive subjects like another person's health, family, or anything like that for I know my limits even in the heat of the moment. Ultimately, the mind games are not for my own benefit but for the team as a whole so they could at least have a slight edge against a stronger opponent"''.

Known for his "maverick" and occasionally "unfiltered" persona, during his four years as head coach, Carter gained a reputation for his willingness to publicly call out or criticise individuals, be it fellow managers or players that he did not like, particularly those from the {{wp|English}} football club {{wp|Manchester City}}, the longtime nemesis of his former club {{wp|Manchester United}}. In this, while otherwise maintaining a seemingly indifferent or, at best, a cordial attitude towards other fellow managers, Carter is known for his somewhat "hostile" relationship with {{wp|Manchester City}} head coach {{wp|Pep Guardiola}}, whom he once infamously claimed should learn from the former {{wp|England national football team|England}} captain himself on how to win titles as a football manager, a sentiment that he later echoed following {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s 4-1 victory over {{wp|Manchester City}} in the {{wp|2021 UEFA Champions League Final}} where Carter himself was the head coach for {{wp|THFC|The Lilywhites}}. In addition, owing to his propensity for more pragmatic but attacking tactics as {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} manager, Carter has also derided the {{wp|tiki-taka}} style of football popularised by {{wp|Pep Guardiola|Guardiola}} during the early 2010s, describing it in one instance as "snoozefest football". Otherwise, Carter is known for his glowing public praise for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} head coach {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, whom Carter has referred to as his "mentor" and credited for his successful tactics at {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, and former {{wp|Manchester United}} head coach {{wp|Sir}} {{wp|Alex Ferguson}}, under whom he played for six seasons and achieved a historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}}. In this, given that the three of them are the only managers in {{wp|Europe}} to have won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} thrice in a row and achieved a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}}, Carter has often included himself alongside {{wp|Diego Simeone|Simeone}} and {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Ferguson}} as the "big three of {{wp|European}} managers", stating, ''"A lot of managers in history have won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League|Champions League}} from time to time but how many of them exactly could claim to have won it thrice in a row and get a sextuple while they're at it? Not a lot of them can"''.

As the only {{wp|English}} manager to have ever won the {{wp|Premier League}} and the first in decades since {{wp|Joe Fagan}} in 1984 to have won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, Carter is known for his utter rejection of what he perceived to be the "dinosaur-like and outdated {{wp|English}} managerial style", having once said, ''"When you look at the major footballing powerhouses in {{wp|Europe}}, there is no doubt that {{wp|England national football team|England}} produces players that are just as good if not better than {{wp|German}}, {{wp|Italian}}, and {{wp|Spanish}} ones, able to adapt to different tactics and generally thrive at the highest levels. However, when it comes to producing managers, the fact is that the most recognisable {{wp|English}} managers in recent years are all old-school, route-one types of men who teach nothing other than simply launching the ball forward and hoping that the striker would score. Ultimately, you don't really see this very simplistic and frankly amateurish style of play among the great non-{{wp|English}} managers at all and there is surely a reason behind that"''. Consequently, although somewhat infrequently, Carter is known to have occasionally and publicly criticised "dinosaur" {{wp|English}} managers such as the likes of {{wp|Sam Allardyce}}, {{wp|Harry Redknapp}}, and {{wp|Sean Dyche}}, having once dubbed them "embarrassing relics of {{wp|English}} managerial standards". 

==Honours==
===Player===
'''LA Galaxy'''
* '''MLS Cup''': 1998
* '''CONCACAF Champions Cup''': 1999

'''Bayer 04 Leverkusen'''
*'''Bundesliga''': 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02
*'''DFL-Ligapokal''': 1999
*'''UEFA Champions League''': 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02
*'''UEFA Super Cup''': 2000, 2001, 2002

'''Manchester United'''
* '''Premier League''': 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
* '''FA Cup''': 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09
* '''EFL Cup''': 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
* '''Community Shield''': 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
* '''UEFA Champions League''': 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
* '''UEFA Super Cup''': 2005, 2008, 2009
* '''FIFA Club World Cup''': 2005, 2008, 2009

'''Atlético Madrid'''
* '''La Liga''': 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
* '''Copa del Rey''': 2012-13, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19
* '''Supercopa de España''': 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
* '''UEFA Champions League''': 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
* '''UEFA Europa League''': 2010-11
* '''UEFA Super Cup''': 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
* '''FIFA Club World Cup''': 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

'''United States U20'''
*'''FIFA World Youth Championship''': 1999

'''United States'''
* '''FIFA World Cup''': 2002
* '''FIFA Confederations Cup''': 2001, 2003
*'''CONCACAF Gold Cup''': 2000, 2002

'''England'''
* '''FIFA World Cup''': 2006, 2010, 2014
*'''UEFA European Championship''': 2008, 2012, 2016

===Manager===
'''Tottenham Hotspur'''
*'''Premier League''': 2020-21, 2021-22
*'''FA Cup''': 2021-22, 2022-23
*'''EFL Cup''': 2021-22
* '''William Carter Shield''': 2022
*'''UEFA Champions League''': 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22
*'''UEFA Super Cup''': 2020, 2021, 2022
*'''FIFA Club World Cup''': 2020, 2021, 2022

'''Individual'''
* {{wp|Ballon d'Or|Ultra Ballon d'Or}}: 2019
* {{wp|FIFA Ballon d'Or}}/{{wp|Ballon d'Or}}: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
* {{wp|FIFA World Player of the Year}}: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009
* {{wp|The Best FIFA Men's Player}}: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
* {{wp|The Best FIFA Football Awards|The Best FIFA Special Award for Outstanding Career Achievement}}: 2010, 2014, 2016
* {{wp|FIFA World Cup Golden Ball}}: 2002, 2006, 2014
* {{wp|FIFA World Cup Golden Boot}}: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
* {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball}}: 2001, 2003, 2009, 2013
* {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball|FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Boot}}: 2001, 2003, 2009, 2013
* {{wp|FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Ball}}: 1999
* {{wp|FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Ball|FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Boot}}: 1999
* {{wp|UEFA European Championship awards|UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament}}: 2008, 2012
* {{wp|UEFA European Championship awards|UEFA European Championship Golden Boot}}: 2004, 2008, 2012
* {{wp|UEFA European Championship awards|UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament}}: 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016
* {{wp|Premier League Golden Boot}}: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10
* {{wp|Pichichi Trophy}}: 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16
* {{wp|List of Bundesliga top scorers by season|Kicker-Torjägerkanone}}: 1999-2000, 2001-02
* {{wp|European Golden Shoe}}: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16
* {{wp|La Liga}} Best Player: 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16
* {{wp|Bundesliga}} Player of the Season: 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02
* {{wp|Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year|Laureus World Sportsman of the Year}}: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
* {{wp|The FA England Awards|The FA's Senior Men's Player of the Year}}: 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016
* {{wp|PFA Players' Player of the Year}}: 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09
* {{wp|PFA Fans' Player of the Year}}: 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09
* {{wp|PFA Team of the Year}}: 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
* {{wp|Premier League Player of the Season}}: 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
* {{wp|Premier League Player of the Month}}: April 2004, August 2004, October 2004, December 2004, March 2005, August 2005, September 2005, November 2005, October 2006, February 2007, April 2007, May 2007, August 2007, October 2007, December 2007, January 2008, March 2008, April 2008, August 2008, October 2008, November 2008, December 2008, January 2009, February 2009, May 2009, August 2009, December 2009, April 2010, May 2010, August 2010, September 2010
* {{wp|UEFA Club Footballer of the Year}}: 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
* {{wp|UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award}}: 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
* {{wp|FWA Footballer of the Year}}: 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
* {{wp|BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award}}: 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016
* {{wp|Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year}}: 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
* {{wp|UEFA Men's Coach of the Year Award}}: 2020, 2021, 2022
* {{wp|LMA Manager of the Year}}: 2020, 2021, 2022
* {{wp|The Best FIFA Men's Coach}}: 2020, 2021, 2022
* {{wp|Onze d'Or Coach of the Year}}: 2020, 2021, 2022
* {{wp|IFFHS World's Best Club Coach}}: 2020, 2021, 2022