South Korean footballer Ji Dong-won announces retirement
In South Korea, 35-year-old forward Ji Dong-won has announced his retirement from playing after 16 years in professional football. The footballer announced his decision on social media, noting that he was ending the career he began in 2010.
Ji Dong-won thanked everyone who supported him and said he would retain his passion for football in the next stage of his life. As Korea Herald reports, the forward's last club was Australian side Macarthur, which he joined in August 2025. The player retired after his contract with the club expired.
Career in Korea and England
Ji Dong-won began his professional career in 2010 at South Korean club Chonnam Dragons. Before that, he trained for a year with English club Reading as part of a Korean Football Association development program.
In his debut K League season, the forward played 22 matches, scored seven goals and provided three assists. In June 2011, he moved to England's Sunderland and at that time became the youngest South Korean footballer to play in the English Premier League.
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In January 2012, Ji Dong-won scored a stoppage-time winner against Manchester City. During the celebration, he was kissed by a Sunderland fan.
Appearances in Germany and for the national team
The forward later played in Germany for Augsburg, Borussia Dortmund, Darmstadt, Mainz and Eintracht Braunschweig. In 2021, he returned to the K League, joining Seoul, and moved to Suwon FC in 2024.
Ji Dong-won made 55 appearances and scored 11 goals for the South Korea national team. At the 2012 Olympics in London, he scored in the quarterfinal and helped the team win bronze medals — South Korea's first Olympic medal in men's football.
