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

GoalDateLocationOpponentScoreResultCompetition
130 November 2006 Doha, Qatar1–02–02006 Asian Games
230 November 2006 Doha, Qatar2–02–02006 Asian Games
317 February 2007 Masan, South Korea1–05–02008 Summer Olympics qualifiers
415 April 2007 Hai Phong, Vietnam1–12–12008 Summer Olympics qualifiers
515 April 2007 Hai Phong, Vietnam2–12–12008 Summer Olympics qualifiers
612 August 2007 Cheongju, South Korea1–02–12008 Summer Olympics qualifiers
726 August 2009 Tainan, Taiwan1–019–02010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers
826 August 2009 Tainan, Taiwan11–019–02010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers
926 August 2009 Tainan, Taiwan12–019–02010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers
1026 August 2009 Tainan, Taiwan16–019–02010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers
1126 August 2009 Tainan, Taiwan19–019–02010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers
1230 August 2009 Tainan, Taiwan5–06–02010 EAFF Women's Championship qualifiers
1310 February 2010 Tokyo, Japan1–21–22010 EAFF Women's Championship
1414 November 2010 Guangzhou, China1–16–12010 Asian Games
1516 November 2010 Guangzhou, China1–05–02010 Asian Games
1616 November 2010 Guangzhou, China2–05–02010 Asian Games
1716 November 2010 Guangzhou, China5–05–02010 Asian Games
1822 November 2010 Guangzhou, China2–02–02010 Asian Games
197 March 2011 Paralimni, Cyprus1–02–12011 Cyprus Women's Cup
2018 June 2011 Ehime, Japan1–11–1Friendly
213 September 2011 Jinan, China1–11–22012 Summer Olympics Qualifiers
2214 January 2013 Chongqing, China2–03–1Friendly
236 March 2013 Paralimni, Cyprus1–02–02013 Cyprus Women's Cup
248 March 2013 Paralimni, Cyprus1–03–02013 Cyprus Women's Cup
2527 July 2013 Seoul, South Korea1–02–12013 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup
2627 July 2013 Seoul, South Korea2–02–12013 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup
275 March 2014 Paralimni, Cyprus1–11–12014 Cyprus Women's Cup
287 March 2014 Paralimni, Cyprus1–11–12014 Cyprus Women's Cup
2915 May 2014 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam1–012–02014 AFC Women's Asian Cup
3017 May 2014 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam1–04–02014 AFC Women's Asian Cup
3112 November 2014 Hsinchu, Taiwan1–015–02015 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup qualifiers
3212 November 2014 Hsinchu, Taiwan8–015–02015 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup qualifiers
3315 November 2014 Hsinchu, Taiwan1–09–02015 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup qualifiers
3413 January 2015 Shenzhen, China2–23–2Friendly
3515 January 2015 Shenzhen, China2–12–1Friendly
364 March 2015 Nicosia, Cyprus1–11–22015 Cyprus Women's Cup
375 April 2015 Incheon, South Korea1–01–0Friendly
388 April 2015 Incheon, South Korea2–02–0Friendly
3913 June 2015 Montreal, Canada1–12–22015 FIFA Women's World Cup
403 March 2017 Nicosia, Cyprus1–02–02017 Cyprus Women's Cup
416 March 2017 Larnaca, Cyprus2–02–02017 Cyprus Women's Cup
425 April 2017 Pyongyang, North Korea8–010–02018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification
435 April 2017 Pyongyang, North Korea10–010–02018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification
4411 April 2017 Pyongyang, North Korea2–04–02018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification
4511 April 2017 Pyongyang, North Korea4–04–02018 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification
4619 August 2018 Palembang, Indonesia1–08–02018 Asian Games
4721 August 2018 Palembang, Indonesia10–012–02018 Asian Games
4821 August 2018 Palembang, Indonesia12–012–02018 Asian Games
4931 August 2018 Palembang, Indonesia1–04–02018 Asian Games
5028 February 2019 Sydney, Australia4–05–02019 Cup of Nations
5128 February 2019 Sydney, Australia5–05–02019 Cup of Nations
523 March 2019 Brisbane, Australia1–11–42019 Cup of Nations
536 March 2019 Melbourne, Australia1–02–02019 Cup of Nations
549 April 2019 Chuncheon, South Korea1–11–1Friendly
556 October 2019 Chicago, United States1–01–1Friendly
563 February 2020 Seogwipo, South Korea1–07–02020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Third round
573 February 2020 Seogwipo, South Korea3–07–02020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Third round
589 February 2020 Seogwipo, South Korea3–03–02020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Third round

Career statistics

Club

Honours

Club

INAC Kobe Leonessa
Chelsea