Ariath Piol
Ariath Deng Piol is an Australian footballer who plays as a striker for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.
Early life
Piol was born in Adelaide to parents from Sudan who fled to Australia from the Second Sudanese Civil War in the 1980s. He grew up playing Australian rules football before switching to association football. As a child, he became close friends with fellow professional footballer Mohamed Touré.Career
Piol played for National Premier Leagues South Australia side MetroStars SC|MetroStars] in his native Adelaide before joining the Western Sydney [Wanderers FC Youth|Western Sydney Wanderers NPL] team after a successful trial for the 2023 season. Midway through the 2023 season, Piol joined the youth team of Macarthur FC.In January 2024, Piol was promoted to the Macarthur FC first team signing a scholarship contract until the end of the season. Piol made two appearances and scored one goal in a 2-1 win against his hometown club Adelaide United. At the end of the season, Piol signed a two-year contract extension.
The 2024–25 season was a breakout season for Piol. He was a part of the Macarthur side that won the 2024 and came on as a substitute in the 2024 [Australia Cup final|final]. In the league, Piol's good form attracted interest from overseas clubs such as Troyes AC|Troyes], St. Gallen and Real Salt Lake. On 23 January 2025, it was announced that Piol signed for Real Salt Lake in the MLS for an undisclosed fee.