Ri Il-song

Ri Il-song (Korean: 리일성; born 14 January 2004) is a North Korean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ryomyong and the North Korea national team.

Career

Ri first rose to prominence after scoring two goals for the April 25 under-15 team in a 3–1 win over the South Korean Gangwon Province representative team.

A fast-paced winger, he made his first mark on the international stage at qualification for the 2020 AFC U-16 Championship, scoring five goals in only three appearances, including a hat-trick in a resounding 16–0 win over Guam.

Before the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea, Ri had planned to move to Spain to pursue a career in professional football. However, by the time English newspaper The Guardian had named him as one of the 60 best young players in the world in October 2021, Ri had not played football at all in over a year.

In March 2024, the Japanese newspaper Choson Sinbo revealed that Ri had transferred to DPRK Premier League fellow Ryomyong.

On 11 June 2024, he scored his first senior international goal for North Korea in a 4–1 victory over Myanmar, contributing to his nation's qualification to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification third round.