Home > Sports > Football

Women's football legend savors 1st trophy with national team

Published: 17 Jul. 2025, 10:30

Korea's Ji So-yun celebrates scoring during an EAFF E-1 Women's Football Championship match against Chinese Taipei at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on July 16. [NEWS1]

It had been nearly 20 years in the making, and Ji So-yun, widely regarded as Korea's greatest female football player ever, finally won a title with the national team Wednesday night.

And after Korea beat Chinese Taipei 2-0 to clinch the EAFF E-1 Women's Football Championship, Ji, who scored a 70th-minute penalty to open the scoring, made sure she would be the first one to touch the trophy at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi.

A football convention has it that the captain of the team gets to hoist the trophy in celebrations, but even though Ji didn't wear the armband this time, no one was going to argue with the 34-year-old veteran with 169 caps and 74 goals — both of them the highest totals in Korean football history.

"I came out of the match in the late minutes, and I told my teammates that I didn't want them to touch it first," Ji said with a smile. "I'd waited for this moment for 20 years. No one was going to dare put their hands on that trophy first. Luckily, it was already determined among younger players that veterans have their chance first."

Ji has won several trophies over her illustrious club career, though, namely six league titles and four Women's FA Cup titles with Chelsea FC Women. But international titles had proven elusive until now. At the senior level, Ji previously won three bronze medals at the Asian Games and had one runner-up finish at the Asian Football Confederation Women's Asian Cup.

Ji, who played her first national team match in 2006 as a 15-year-old, said Wednesday's win made the long wait all worthwhile.

"I really want to pat myself on the back tonight for all the hardships and adversity I've overcome," Ji said. "I've done these celebrations a lot of times with my club teammates, but it was extra special to be able to enjoy this with my fellow national team players. It'd be nice to keep doing this over and over again."

Ji was one of just a few veterans on this squad, which featured many players with little international experience. She said she hoped the EAFF title would help 20-something youngsters take the next step.

Korea's Ji So-yun, left, dribbles during an EAFF E-1 Women's Football Championship match against Japan at Hwaseong Sports Complex in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi on July 13. [YONHAP]

Ji didn't even smile after scoring her penalty because she wasn't pleased with the way her team had played up to that point.

Korea lucked into a chance to win the trophy when Japan and China ended up in a goalless draw in the day's earlier match. If Japan had won as expected, they would have been the champion and Korea would have ended up playing an inconsequential match.

Ji said she felt her teammates got "too excited" over the Japan-China draw and it had a carryover effect into the first half of their own match.

"I tried to remind them that we have to stay composed and just play like we always have," Ji said. "I even yelled at them at halftime and said we weren't going to win it playing this way. I am sure the girls who never played with me before were pretty shocked with that outburst. At least we played better in the second half."

Ji said she didn't initially want to take the penalty but was forced to do it when no one else volunteered.

"When I asked if anyone felt confident enough to take the shot, no one answered. When I am no longer on the national team, someone will have to do it," Ji said. "Hopefully, we will see more takers for penalties and free kicks."

Yonhap