Ji So-yun
Ji So-yun is a South Korean professional footballer who plays for Chelsea in the FA Women's Super League and the South Korean national team.
Club career
Ji started her career in Japan, playing for L. 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.
At 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.
International career
Ji has represented South Korea at under-17 level and was part of the under-20 team that finished as the runners-up at the 2009 AFC U-19 Women's Championship and third 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 for the South Korean senior team, after scoring two goals against Chinese Taipei at the 2006 Asian Games.
Ji is the all-time top goal scorer of the South Korean women's national football team with 58 goals.
International goals
Goal | Date | Location | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
1 | 30 November 2006 | Doha, Qatar | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2006 Asian Games | |
2 | 30 November 2006 | Doha, Qatar | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2006 Asian Games | |
3 | 17 February 2007 | Masan, South Korea | 1–0 | 5–0 | 2008 Summer Olympics qualifiers | |
4 | 15 April 2007 | Hai Phong, Vietnam | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2008 Summer Olympics qualifiers | |
5 | 15 April 2007 | Hai Phong, Vietnam | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2008 Summer Olympics qualifiers | |
6 | 12 August 2007 | Cheongju, South Korea | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2008 Summer Olympics qualifiers | |
7 | 26 August 2009 | Tainan, Taiwan | 1–0 | 19–0 | 2010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers | |
8 | 26 August 2009 | Tainan, Taiwan | 11–0 | 19–0 | 2010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers | |
9 | 26 August 2009 | Tainan, Taiwan | 12–0 | 19–0 | 2010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers | |
10 | 26 August 2009 | Tainan, Taiwan | 16–0 | 19–0 | 2010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers | |
11 | 26 August 2009 | Tainan, Taiwan | 19–0 | 19–0 | 2010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers | |
12 | 30 August 2009 | Tainan, Taiwan | 5–0 | 6–0 | 2010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers | |
13 | 10 February 2010 | Tokyo, Japan | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2010 EAFF Women's Championship | |
14 | 14 November 2010 | Guangzhou, China | 1–1 | 6–1 | 2010 Asian Games | |
15 | 16 November 2010 | Guangzhou, China | 1–0 | 5–0 | 2010 Asian Games | |
16 | 16 November 2010 | Guangzhou, China | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2010 Asian Games | |
17 | 16 November 2010 | Guangzhou, China | 5–0 | 5–0 | 2010 Asian Games | |
18 | 22 November 2010 | Guangzhou, China | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2010 Asian Games | |
19 | 7 March 2011 | Paralimni, Cyprus | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2011 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
20 | 18 June 2011 | Ehime, Japan | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly | |
21 | 3 September 2011 | Jinan, China | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2012 Summer Olympics Qualifiers | |
22 | 14 January 2013 | Chongqing, China | 2–0 | 3–1 | Friendly | |
23 | 6 March 2013 | Paralimni, Cyprus | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2013 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
24 | 8 March 2013 | Paralimni, Cyprus | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2013 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
25 | 27 July 2013 | Seoul, South Korea | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2013 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup | |
26 | 27 July 2013 | Seoul, South Korea | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2013 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup | |
27 | 5 March 2014 | Paralimni, Cyprus | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2014 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
28 | 7 March 2014 | Paralimni, Cyprus | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2014 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
29 | 15 May 2014 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | 1–0 | 12–0 | 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup | |
30 | 17 May 2014 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup | |
31 | 12 November 2014 | Hsinchu, Taiwan | 1–0 | 15–0 | 2015 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup qualifiers | |
32 | 12 November 2014 | Hsinchu, Taiwan | 8–0 | 15–0 | 2015 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup qualifiers | |
33 | 15 November 2014 | Hsinchu, Taiwan | 1–0 | 9–0 | 2015 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup qualifiers | |
34 | 13 January 2015 | Shenzhen, China | 2–2 | 3–2 | Friendly | |
35 | 15 January 2015 | Shenzhen, China | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | |
36 | 4 March 2015 | Nicosia, Cyprus | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2015 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
37 | 5 April 2015 | Incheon, South Korea | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly | |
38 | 8 April 2015 | Incheon, South Korea | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
39 | 13 June 2015 | Montreal, Canada | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup | |
40 | 3 March 2017 | Nicosia, Cyprus | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2017 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
41 | 6 March 2017 | Larnaca, Cyprus | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2017 Cyprus Women's Cup | |
42 | 5 April 2017 | Pyongyang, North Korea | 8–0 | 10–0 | 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification | |
43 | 5 April 2017 | Pyongyang, North Korea | 10–0 | 10–0 | 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification | |
44 | 11 April 2017 | Pyongyang, North Korea | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification | |
45 | 11 April 2017 | Pyongyang, North Korea | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification | |
46 | 19 August 2018 | Palembang, Indonesia | 1–0 | 8–0 | 2018 Asian Games | |
47 | 21 August 2018 | Palembang, Indonesia | 10–0 | 12–0 | 2018 Asian Games | |
48 | 21 August 2018 | Palembang, Indonesia | 12–0 | 12–0 | 2018 Asian Games | |
49 | 31 August 2018 | Palembang, Indonesia | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2018 Asian Games | |
50 | 28 February 2019 | Sydney, Australia | 4–0 | 5–0 | 2019 Cup of Nations | |
51 | 28 February 2019 | Sydney, Australia | 5–0 | 5–0 | 2019 Cup of Nations | |
52 | 3 March 2019 | Brisbane, Australia | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2019 Cup of Nations | |
53 | 6 March 2019 | Melbourne, Australia | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2019 Cup of Nations | |
54 | 9 April 2019 | Chuncheon, South Korea | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly | |
55 | 6 October 2019 | Chicago, United States | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly | |
56 | 3 February 2020 | Seogwipo, South Korea | 1–0 | 7–0 | 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Third round | |
57 | 3 February 2020 | Seogwipo, South Korea | 3–0 | 7–0 | 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Third round | |
58 | 9 February 2020 | Seogwipo, South Korea | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Third round |
Career statistics
Club
Honours
Club
INAC Kobe Leonessa- Nadeshiko League 1: 2011, 2012, 2013
- Nadeshiko League Cup: 2013
- Empress's Cup: 2011, 2012, 2013
- International Women's Club Championship: 2013
- FA Women's Super League: 2015, 2017–18, 2019–20
- FA WSL Spring Series: 2017
- Women's FA Cup: 2014–15, 2017–18
- FA Women's League Cup: 2019–20
International
- AFC U-19 Women's Championship Runner-up: 2009
- FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Third place: 2010
- Summer Universiade Gold medal: 2009
- Asian Games Bronze medal: 2010, 2014, 2018
Individual
- 2009 Summer Universiade MVP
- 2009 AFC U-19 Women's Championship Top Scorer
- 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Silver Ball
- 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Silver Boot
- KFA Women's Footballer of the Year: 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2019
- Asian Women's Footballer of the Year: 2013
- FA WSL 1 Women's Player's Player of the Year: 2014
- PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year: 2014–15
- PFA Team of the Year: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19