Zhao Songyuan

Zhao Songyuan (; born 7 April 2009) is a Chinese footballer who plays as a striker the China U17 national team.

Early life Born in Haidian, Beijing on 7 April 2009, Zhao Songyuan's mother worked as a volleyball coach, while his father worked as a football coach. He received primary school education at Tsinghua University High School-Shangdi, and started participating in school competitions during fourth grade. However, he was often disadvantaged as he had slow pace due to his height. Football commentator Dong Lu worked as his mentor and recruited Zhao to Dong's Chinese Football Boy program. While continuing junior high school at Tsinghua University High School, his footballing talent was discovered by the school's Korean coaching crew, and became a starter for the team.

In September 2025, Zhao followed Beijing U16 as they won a gold medal for football at the 2025 National Games of China.

International career Zhao first entered the radar of China's national team setup at the U15 level in 2024. In November 2025, he was called up play in the 2026 AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualifiers for China U17. Making appearances in four of China's five matches, Zhao scored eleven goals as China advanced onto the final tournament. For his performances, he was recognised as one of the nominees for the 2025 Chinese U17 Golden Boy. In the 2026 AFC U-17 Asian Cup, he scored four goals in six matches as China came as runners-up in the tournament, helping China qualify for a first FIFA U-17 World Cup after a twenty-one-year absence.

In a friendly tournament in August 2026, Zhao scored two goals for China U17 against Arsenal in a 3–2 victory, followed by a goal and an assist as a substitute against Bayer Leverkusen. Arsenal head coach Adam Pilling praised Zhao's performance against them, while Bayer Leverkusen head coach Kevin Brok remarked positively on Zhao's positioning and technique.

Honours China U17 AFC U-17 Asian Cup runner-up: 2026

Beijing U16 Football at the National Games of China: 2025