Ji So-yun

In today's world, Ji So-yun is a relevant topic that has captured the attention of millions of people around the world. Since its emergence, Ji So-yun has generated all kinds of opinions and debates, becoming a meeting point for experts and fans. Over the years, it has become a phenomenon that transcends borders and cultures, sparking growing interest in different areas of knowledge. In this article, we will thoroughly explore the impact and importance of Ji So-yun, as well as its implications in the current context.

In this Korean name, the family name is Ji.
Ji So-yun
Ji with Seattle Reign FC in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-02-21) 21 February 1991 (age 34)
Place of birth Seoul, South Korea[1]
Height 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Seattle Reign FC
Number 91
Youth career
2006–2008 Dongsan Information Industry High School
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2010 Hanyang Women's University
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2013 INAC Kobe Leonessa 48 (21)
2014–2022 Chelsea 124 (37)
2022–2024 Suwon FC 23 (8)
2024– Seattle Reign FC 29 (4)
International career‡
2007–2008 South Korea U17 15 (11)
2007–2010 South Korea U20 17 (13)
2009 South Korea Universiade 4 (0)
2006– South Korea 165 (72)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  South Korea
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Germany
Summer Universiade
Gold medal – first place 2009 Belgrade
AFC Women's Asian Cup
Runner-up 2022 India
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Guangzhou
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Incheon
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Jakarta-Palembang
AFC U-19 Women's Championship
Runner-up 2009 China
EAFF Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Japan
Bronze medal – third place 2013 South Korea
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Japan
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 March 2025
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 April 2025
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 Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League 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.[2] She agreed to a two-year contract in January 2014.[3] 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."[4] 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.[5]

Ji was named Players' Player of the Year after her first season in England, as Chelsea narrowly missed out on the FA WSL 1 title on the last day of the season.[6] 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.[7][8]

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.[9] In October 2015 she also scored in Chelsea's 4–0 win over Sunderland which secured the club's first FA WSL 1 title and a league and cup double.[10]

Ji made her 100th appearance for Chelsea in a 1–1 draw against Arsenal on 1 April 2018 in the middle of the 2017–18 season.[11] She once again contributed to her club's double,[12] as well as advance to the semi-finals of the UEFA Women's Champions League in that season.[13]

On 29 August 2020, Ji led Chelsea to a 2–0 win over Manchester City by performing the role of the key playmaker in the Women's FA Community Shield, held for the first time since 2008.[14] She was named the Player of the Match by BBC, which broadcast the match.[15] At the end of 2020, she was on the list of eleven nominees for The Best FIFA Women's Player award alongside her teammates Pernille Harder and Sam Kerr.[16] 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.[17] Chelsea won all domestic cups in addition to the league title during the season, achieving a quadruple.[18]

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.[19]

On 24 May 2022, Ji returned to her homeland and joined WK League side Suwon FC, her first spell with a South Korean club.[20] On her WK League debut on 18 August 2022, she scored a brace in a 3–0 victory against Boeun Sangmu.[21] She had helped Suwon advance to the final at the 2023 WK League, and scored two goals in a 3–1 first leg win over Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels.[22] Despite her effort, her club lost 7–5 on aggregate after the second leg.

On 24 January 2024, the National Women's Soccer League club Seattle Reign FC announced that they had signed Ji on a two-year contract through the 2025 season.[23]

International career

Ji represented South Korea at senior level before appearing at youth level. In October 2006, she 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.[24][25]

Ji played for the South Korea under-17s at the 2007 AFC U-16 Women's Championship and the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. She scored two goals in four matches at the U-17 World Cup.[26]

Ji participated in the 2009 Summer Universiade when attending Hanyang Women's University. She won a gold medal and the Most Valuable Player award at the tournament.[27][28]

While Ji was part of the national under-20 team, South Korea finished second at the 2009 AFC U-19 Women's Championship and third at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[24] She showed her goal scoring ability at both tournaments, becoming the top goalscorer at the AFC U-19 Championship and the second top goalscorer at the U-20 World Cup, ultimately winning the Silver Ball and the Silver Shoe awards at the U-20 World Cup.[28]

On 13 June 2015, Ji scored her first World Cup goal with a penalty kick in a Group E match against Costa Rica at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[29] After finishing as runners-up in Group E, South Korea reached the World Cup knockout stages for the first time.

Ahead of the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup final, Ji had scored four goals in the competition, including a crucial goal in a 1–0 win over Australia in the quarter-finals.[30] She also scored a penalty that gave South Korea a 2–0 lead at half-time in the final against China. South Korea came close to winning their first major women's football title, but the final ended in a 3–2 defeat after conceding three goals in the second half.[31]

Ji is the all-time top scorer of the South Korea women's national team with 72 goals.[25]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 31 March 2025[32]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental[c] 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 Nadeshiko League 16 4 3 0 6 3 — — 25 7
2013 Nadeshiko League 16 9 4 6 9 3 — 2[d] 1 31 19
Total 48 21 11 6 15 6 — 2 1 76 34
Chelsea 2014 FA WSL 1 12 3 2 2 5 4 — — 19 9
2015 FA WSL 1 14 5 4 3 4 2 4 0 — 26 10
2016 FA WSL 1 16 5 4 5 1 0 2 0 — 23 10
2017 FA WSL 1 7 4 3 2 — — — 10 6
2017–18 FA WSL 1 14 6 3 2 5 1 6 3 — 28 12
2018–19 Women's Super League 17 6 3 1 2 0 8 2 — 30 9
2019–20 Women's Super League 13 6 2 0 4 1 — — 19 7
2020–21 Women's Super League 19 2 1 0 4 0 8 1 1[e] 0 33 3
2021–22 Women's Super League 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[f] 1 6 6
2023 WK League 18 3 — — — 3[f] 2 21 5
Total 23 8 — — — 4 3 27 11
Seattle Reign FC 2024 National Women's Soccer League 26 3 — — — 2[g] 0 28 3
2025 National Women's Soccer League 3 1 — — — — 3 1
Total 29 4 — — — 2 0 31 4
Career total 224 70 37 23 41 14 33 6 9 4 344 117
  1. ^ Includes Empress's Cup, Women's FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes Nadeshiko League Cup, FA Women's League Cup (FA WSL Cup)
  3. ^ Includes UEFA Women's Champions League
  4. ^ Appearances in International Women's Club Championship
  5. ^ Appearance in Women's FA Community Shield
  6. ^ a b Appearances in WK League play-offs
  7. ^ Appearances in NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup

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[26]
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 qualification
4 15 April 2007 Hai Phong, Vietnam  Vietnam 1–1 2–1 2008 Summer Olympics qualification
5 2–1
6 12 August 2007 Cheongju, South Korea  Vietnam 1–0 2–1 2008 Summer Olympics qualification
7 26 August 2009 Tainan, Taiwan  Northern Mariana Islands 1–0 19–0 2010 EAFF Women's Championship qualification
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 qualification
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 qualification
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 qualification
32 8–0
33 15 November 2014 Hsinchu, Taiwan  Hong Kong 1–0 9–0 2015 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup qualification
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
57 3–0
58 9 February 2020 Seogwipo, South Korea  Vietnam 3–0 3–0 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
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
70 24 February 2024 Oeiras, Portugal  Czech Republic 1–0 2–1 Friendly
71 5 April 2024 Icheon, South Korea  Philippines 2–0 3–0 Friendly
72 23 February 2025 Al Hamriyah, United Arab Emirates  Thailand 3–0 4–0 2025 Pink Ladies Cup

Honours

INAC Kobe Leonessa

Chelsea[32]

South Korea U20

South Korea Universiade[27]

South Korea

Individual

References

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