Ji So-yun

Ji So-yun (지소연, ; 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 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.

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.

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, 285 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 71 goals.

International

 * Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ji goal.

Honours
INAC Kobe Leonessa
 * Nadeshiko League Division 1: 2011, 2012, 2013
 * Empress's Cup: 2011, 2012, 2013
 * Nadeshiko League Cup: 2013
 * International Women's Club Championship: 2013

Chelsea
 * FA Women's Super League: 2015, 2017, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
 * Women's FA Cup: 2014–15, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2021–22
 * FA Women's League Cup: 2019–20, 2020–21
 * Women's FA Community Shield: 2020

South Korea U20
 * FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup third place: 2010
 * AFC U-19 Women's Championship runner-up: 2009

South Korea Universiade
 * Summer Universiade: 2009

South Korea
 * AFC Women's Asian Cup runner-up: 2022
 * Asian Games bronze medal: 2010, 2014, 2018

Individual
 * Summer Universiade Most Valuable Player: 2009
 * AFC U-19 Women's Championship top goalscorer: 2009
 * FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Silver Ball: 2010
 * FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Silver Shoe: 2010
 * Korean FA Women's Player of the Year: 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2021, 2022
 * FA Women's Players' Player of the Year: 2014
 * PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year: 2014–15
 * PFA Women's Super League Team of the Year: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
 * IFFHS Asian Women's Team of All Time: 2021
 * WK League Midfielder of the Year: 2022