Choe Il-son (Korean: 최일선; born 1 January 2007) is a North Korean professional footballer who plays as a Striker for April 25 and the North Korean national youth teams.[1]

Choe Il-son
최일선
Personal information
Date of birth (2007-01-01) 1 January 2007 (age 17)
Place of birth Kwail-ŭp, Kwail County North Korea
Height 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
April 25
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024– April 25
International career
2024 North Korea U17 11 (7)
2024– North Korea U20 12 (7)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  North Korea
AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup
Winner Indonesia 2024
AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup
Winner Uzbekistan 2024
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
Winner Dominican Republic 2024
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
Winner Colombia 2024
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 3 November 2024

International career

edit

Aged 17 in March 2024, Choe was selected to join the North Korea under-20 team for the 2024 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup.[2] She featured in all five matches of the tournament, helping North Korea secure the championship title. In the semifinals, she scored the opening goal against rivals South Korea.[3]

Two months later, she was named to the final squad for the 2024 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup in Indonesia. She helped North Korea win their fourth title, scoring a mega hat-trick against hosts Indonesia.[4]

In September 2024, she was selected for the final squad of the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. She played a crucial role in North Korea's third world title, scoring six goals to claim the Golden Boot, including the only goal in the final against Japan. She was also named the tournament's best player, earning the Golden Ball.[5][6] a month later, she got selected for the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.[7]

Honours

edit

North Korea U17

North Korea U20

Individual

International goals

edit

Under-17

edit
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 12 May 2024 Gianyar, Indonesia   Indonesia 1–0 9–0 2024 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup
2. 2–0
3. 5–0
4. 6–0
5. 9–0
6. 17 October 2024 Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic   Mexico 2–0 4–1 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
7. 23 October 2024   England 2–0 4–0

Under-20

edit
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 13 March 2024 Tashkent, Uzbekistan   South Korea 1–0 3–0 2024 AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup
2. 2 September 2024 Cali, Colombia   Argentina 5–1 6–2 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
3. 5 September 2024   Costa Rica 3–0 9–0
4. 4–0
5. 8 September 2024   Netherlands 1–0 2–0
6. 18 September 2024   United States 1–0 1–0
7. 22 September 2024 Bogotá, Colombia   Japan 1–0 1–0

References

edit
  1. ^ "일본 떨게 만든 '17살 여자 메시' 최일선…북한 20살 월드컵 세번째 정상" [Choe Il-son, the '17-year-old female Messi' who made Japan tremble… North Korea wins the U-20 Women's World Cup for the third time.]. hani.co.kr (in Korean). 23 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  2. ^ "AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup 2024 squad / DPR Korea" (PDF). the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 2 March 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Buoyant Choe expects to do more of the same for DPR Korea". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  4. ^ "DPR Korea's Choe back at her goal-scoring best". the-AFC.com. Asian Football Confederation. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Brilliant Choe Il-son wins two individual awards". fifa.com. FIFA. 22 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  6. ^ "일본 꺾고 통산 3번째 우승…최일선 'MVP · 득점왕'" [Defeating Japan to claim their third title... Choe Il-son 'MVP · Top Scorer]. m.news.nate.com (in Korean). 23 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Choe Il-son: We can win any title we fight for". fifa.com. FIFA. 15 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
edit