Who is Zhao Songyuan? 17-year-old without professional contract called up to China squad
Zhao Songyuan gets a China senior team call-up despite not having a professional contract.
Still a student at Tsinghua University High School, Zhao Songyuan became the first player without a professional contract to be called up to China’s senior national team.
Zhao has been named in the squad for their upcoming friendlies against Palestine, New Zealand, and Tajikistan in Southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, between 24th September and 6th October.
The 17-year-old centre forward is currently representing Tsinghua University High School. Zhao is a young prospect who has played for the China U-17 National Football Team for the last 6 months. His call-up is a direct result of most young players being selected to play in the Asian Games.
In this article, we will take a look at the 17-year-old Chinese, Zhao, and his journey representing the China U-17 team so far.
The illustrious U17 performances
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Zhao Songyuan is a 17-year-old Chinese-born player, who has been called up for the first time by the China Men’s Senior team.
Though Zhao does not have a professional contract, he has been electric at the top when representing the China U-17 National Team. In only 18 appearances, he has managed to bag 20 goals. Zhao made his mark in his very first game, when the China U-17 team faced the East Timor U-17 team for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualification.
Against East Timor, Zhao put forth a spectacular performance as he was able to score a Hat-Trick on debut.
His next match against Brunei would be nothing short of fabulous, as Zhao would go on to score 6 out of the 12 goals that China scored. Zhao would then manage to bag 2 goals in the remaining two games, as China finished top of Group A with 15 points and a goal difference of +42.
In the AFC U-17 Asian Cup, China would go all the way to the finals, only to be defeated by Japan with a scoreline of 3-2. In the Asian Cup, Zhao would play all 6 matches and find the net on 4 separate occasions.
Zhao’s individual brilliance was showcased when he most recently played in the Shanghai Future Stars Cup 2026.
In the tournament, Zhao would play against the likes of Arsenal U-17, Athletic Bilbao U-17, Bayer Leverkusen U-17 and River Plate U-17. He played all 4 matches in the tournament and also scored 2 goals.
His performance in the tournament earned him the ‘Most Valuable Player’ award, as China U-17 and Arsenal U-17 shared the trophy due to the finals being cancelled as a consequence of an approaching Typhoon.
Player Profile: Zhao Songyuang
- Name: Zhao Songyuang
- Age: 17
- Place of Birth: China
- Height: 1,94 m
- Position: Centre Forward
- Preferred foot: Left foot
- Current Club: Tsinghua University High School
- National Team: China
- Achievements: Shanghai Future Stars Cup 2026 ‘Most Valuable Player’.
Who is Zhao Songyuang?
Zhao Songyuang is a 17 year old wonderkid from China who earned his first call up to the China Men’s Senior Team without signing a professional contract.
Who is the head coach of China Men’s Senior Team?
The head coach of China Men’s Senior Team is Shao Jiayi
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