Ji So-yun

Ji So-yun
Ji in 2015
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-02-21) 21 February 1991 (age 32)
Place of birth Seoul, South Korea
Height 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Suwon FC
Number 10
Youth career
2006–2008 Dongsan Info & Industry HS
2009–2010 Hanyang Women's University
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2013 INAC Kobe Leonessa 48 (21)
2014–2022 Chelsea 124 (37)
2022– Suwon FC 23 (8)
International career
2007–2008 South Korea U17 15 (11)
2007–2010 South Korea U20 17 (13)
2006– South Korea 154 (69)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 August 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 November 2023
Ji So-yun
Hangul
지소연
Hanja
池笑然
Revised RomanizationJi Soyeon
McCune–ReischauerChi Soyŏn

Ji So-yun (Korean: 지소연, Korean pronunciation: [tɕi.so.jʌn]; born 21 February 1991) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for WK League club Suwon FC and the South Korea national team.

Club career

Ji with Chelsea in 2014

Ji started her career in Japan, playing for Nadeshiko League champions INAC Kobe Leonessa between 2011 and 2013. In November 2013, Ji was subject to a transfer bid from English club Chelsea. She agreed to a two-year contract in January 2014. When the transfer was officially confirmed later that month, Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said of Ji: "She is one of the best midfielders in the world and our fans will love her." In one of her final matches for the Japanese club, Ji scored against her soon-to-be new club, Chelsea, in the International Women's Club Championship final.

Ji was named Players' Player of the Year after her first season in England, as Chelsea narrowly missed out on the FA WSL 1 league title on the last day of the season. She was named PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year in April 2015 and was also named in the PFA WSL Team of the Year.

In the 2015 FA Women's Cup Final, staged at Wembley Stadium for the first time, Ji scored the only goal of the match to win the Cup for Chelsea. In October 2015 she also scored in Chelsea's 4–0 win over Sunderland which secured the club's first FA WSL title and a League and Cup double.

On 1 April 2018, Ji made her 100th appearance for Chelsea in a 1–1 draw against Arsenal.

In the light of her performances for Chelsea over the years and the instrumental role she played in Chelsea's 2020–21 FA WSL winning team, Suzanne Wrack of The Guardian claimed that Ji was the best foreign player in the history of WSL.

After spending eight years with Chelsea, Ji left the club following the 2021–22 season. She made over 200 appearances and scored 68 goals in all competitions, and won six league titles, four FA Cups, two league cups, and one Community Shield.

On 24 May 2022, Ji returned to her homeland and joined WK League side Suwon FC, her first spell with a South Korean club. On her WK League debut on 18 August 2022, she scored a brace in a 3–0 victory against Boeun Sangmu.

International career

Ji represented South Korea at under-17 level and was part of the under-20 team that finished as runners-up at the 2009 AFC U-19 Women's Championship, and in third place at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

In October 2006, Ji made her senior team debut while playing at the 2006 Peace Queen Cup. On 30 November 2006, she became the youngest goalscorer (15 years, 282 days) for the South Korean senior team after scoring two goals against Chinese Taipei at the 2006 Asian Games.

Ji is the all-time top scorer of the South Korea women's national team with 69 goals.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 25 November 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup International Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
INAC Kobe Leonessa 2011 Nadeshiko League 16 8 4 0 20 8
2012 16 4 3 0 6 3 25 7
2013 16 9 4 6 9 3 2 1 31 19
Total 48 21 11 6 15 6 2 1 76 34
Chelsea 2014 FA WSL 12 3 2 2 5 4 19 9
2015 14 5 4 3 4 2 4 0 26 10
2016 16 5 4 5 1 0 2 0 23 10
2017 7 4 3 2 10 6
2017–18 14 6 3 2 5 1 6 3 28 12
2018–19 17 6 3 1 2 0 8 2 30 9
2019–20 13 6 2 0 4 1 19 7
2020–21 19 2 1 0 4 0 8 1 1 0 33 3
2021–22 12 0 4 2 1 0 5 0 22 2
Total 124 37 26 17 26 8 33 6 1 0 210 68
Suwon FC 2022 WK League 5 5 1 1 6 6
2023 18 3 3 2 21 5
Total 23 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 3 27 11
Career total 195 66 37 23 41 14 35 7 5 3 313 113

International

Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ji goal.
List of international goals scored by Ji So-yun
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 30 November 2006 Doha, Qatar  Chinese Taipei 1–0 2–0 2006 Asian Games
2 2–0
3 17 February 2007 Masan, South Korea  India 1–0 5–0 2008 Summer Olympics qualifiers
4 15 April 2007 Hai Phong, Vietnam  Vietnam 1–1 2–1 2008 Summer Olympics qualifiers
5 2–1
6 12 August 2007 Cheongju, South Korea  Vietnam 1–0 2–1 2008 Summer Olympics qualifiers
7 26 August 2009 Tainan, Taiwan  Northern Mariana Islands 1–0 19–0 2010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers
8 11–0
9 12–0
10 16–0
11 19–0
12 30 August 2009 Tainan, Taiwan  Chinese Taipei 5–0 6–0 2010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers
13 10 February 2010 Tokyo, Japan  China 1–2 1–2 2010 EAFF Women's Championship
14 14 November 2010 Guangzhou, China  Vietnam 1–1 6–1 2010 Asian Games
15 16 November 2010 Guangzhou, China  Jordan 1–0 5–0 2010 Asian Games
16 2–0
17 5–0
18 22 November 2010 Guangzhou, China  China 2–0 2–0 2010 Asian Games
19 7 March 2011 Paralimni, Cyprus  Russia 1–0 2–1 2011 Cyprus Women's Cup
20 18 June 2011 Ehime, Japan  Japan 1–1 1–1 Friendly
21 3 September 2011 Jinan, China  Japan 1–1 1–2 2012 Summer Olympics Qualifiers
22 14 January 2013 Chongqing, China  Canada 2–0 3–1 Friendly
23 6 March 2013 Paralimni, Cyprus  South Africa 1–0 2–0 2013 Cyprus Women's Cup
24 8 March 2013 Paralimni, Cyprus  Northern Ireland 1–0 3–0 2013 Cyprus Women's Cup
25 27 July 2013 Seoul, South Korea  Japan 1–0 2–1 2013 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup
26 2–0
27 5 March 2014 Paralimni, Cyprus  Switzerland 1–1 1–1 2014 Cyprus Women's Cup
28 7 March 2014 Paralimni, Cyprus  Republic of Ireland 1–1 1–1 2014 Cyprus Women's Cup
29 15 May 2014 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam  Myanmar 1–0 12–0 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup
30 17 May 2014 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam  Thailand 1–0 4–0 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup
31 12 November 2014 Hsinchu, Taiwan  Guam 1–0 15–0 2015 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup qualifiers
32 8–0
33 15 November 2014 Hsinchu, Taiwan  Hong Kong 1–0 9–0 2015 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup qualifiers
34 13 January 2015 Shenzhen, China  China 2–2 3–2 Friendly
35 15 January 2015 Shenzhen, China  Mexico 2–1 2–1 Friendly
36 4 March 2015 Nicosia, Cyprus  Italy 1–1 1–2 2015 Cyprus Women's Cup
37 5 April 2015 Incheon, South Korea  Russia 1–0 1–0 Friendly
38 8 April 2015 Incheon, South Korea  Russia 2–0 2–0 Friendly
39 13 June 2015 Montreal, Canada  Costa Rica 1–1 2–2 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
40 3 March 2017 Nicosia, Cyprus  Scotland 1–0 2–0 2017 Cyprus Women's Cup
41 6 March 2017 Larnaca, Cyprus  New Zealand 2–0 2–0 2017 Cyprus Women's Cup
42 5 April 2017 Pyongyang, North Korea  India 8–0 10–0 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification
43 10–0
44 11 April 2017 Pyongyang, North Korea  Uzbekistan 2–0 4–0 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification
45 4–0
46 19 August 2018 Palembang, Indonesia  Maldives 1–0 8–0 2018 Asian Games
47 21 August 2018 Palembang, Indonesia  Indonesia 10–0 12–0 2018 Asian Games
48 12–0
49 31 August 2018 Palembang, Indonesia  Chinese Taipei 1–0 4–0 2018 Asian Games
50 28 February 2019 Sydney, Australia  Argentina 4–0 5–0 2019 Cup of Nations
51 5–0
52 3 March 2019 Brisbane, Australia  Australia 1–1 1–4 2019 Cup of Nations
53 6 March 2019 Melbourne, Australia  New Zealand 1–0 2–0 2019 Cup of Nations
54 9 April 2019 Chuncheon, South Korea  Iceland 1–1 1–1 Friendly
55 6 October 2019 Chicago, United States  United States 1–0 1–1 Friendly
56 3 February 2020 Seogwipo, South Korea  Myanmar 1–0 7–0 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Third round
57 3–0
58 9 February 2020 Seogwipo, South Korea  Vietnam 3–0 3–0 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Third round
59 17 September 2021 Tashkent, Uzbekistan  Mongolia 5–0 12–0 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification
60 21 January 2022 Pune, India  Vietnam 1–0 3–0 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup
61 3–0
62 24 January 2022 Pune, India  Myanmar 2–0 2–0 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup
63 30 January 2022 Pune, India  Australia 1–0 1–0 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup
64 6 February 2022 Navi Mumbai, India  China 2–0 2–3 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup
65 19 July 2022 Kashima, Japan  Japan 1–1 1–2 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship
66 22 February 2023 Bristol, England  Italy 1–1 1–2 2023 Arnold Clark Cup
67 8 July 2023 Seoul, South Korea  Haiti 1–1 2–1 Friendly
68 22 September 2023 Wenzhou, China  Myanmar 2–0 3–0 2022 Asian Games
69 25 September 2023 Wenzhou, China  Philippines 3–1 5–1 2022 Asian Games

Honours

INAC Kobe Leonessa

Chelsea

South Korea U20

South Korea Universiade

South Korea

Individual


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