The year he turned 21, in his third year at Gwangju University, he signed with FC Anyang and made his pro debut. He came from the Anyang Technical High School youth team and was the club’s first priority pick. In April he scored his first K League goal against Asan Mugunghwa, and that season he had 14 goals and 4 assists in 33 matches and was named to the K League 2 Best XI.
In January 2020, he scored two goals at the AFC U-23 Championship and helped South Korea win its first title, and soon afterward he moved to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. In November, he scored twice against Daegu in Lee Dong-gook’s retirement match to secure the K League 1 title, and a week later Jeonbuk won the FA Cup for the club’s first double.
In March 2021, he enlisted with Gimcheon Sangmu to begin his military service, and in June he was left off the second Tokyo Olympics list, ending his chance of playing at the Olympics. In September, he made his senior international debut against Lebanon.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 24, in September 2022, he was discharged from Gimcheon Sangmu and returned to Jeonbuk, and that year he was K League 1 top scorer and won the FA Cup and the tournament MVP award. In November, at his first World Cup, he drew attention first for his looks after coming on against Uruguay. Against Ghana, he scored two headers, the first South Korean to score two goals in one World Cup match, and became a nationwide star almost at once. He also started against Portugal and helped South Korea reach the round of 16.
In July 2023, he moved to Denmark’s Midtjylland and went to Europe, and in his debut match against Hvidovre he scored the winner with a header. In January 2024, he scored a last-gasp equalizer against Saudi Arabia in the Asian Cup round of 16, and in May he helped Midtjylland win the Danish league. Soon afterward, though, knee surgery and complications left him out for a long time.
In November 2025, he scored his first international goal in 654 days, on his return to the national team, and in December he also scored his first Europa League goal.
In March 2026, he scored the winner in the Europa League round of 16, and in May he was named to the final North America World Cup squad, his second World Cup. But after his header was saved against Mexico and a loss to South Africa, South Korea went out in the group stage.
Cho Gue-sung (born Jan 25, 1998) made his pro debut on Jan 4, 2019, the year he turned 21, when he signed with FC Anyang, and became a nationwide star on Nov 28, 2022, the year he turned 24, when he scored two headers against Ghana at the Qatar World Cup. He first won the K League 1 top scorer award in 2022, the year he turned 24.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
FC Anyang signed him, then in his third year at Gwangju University, as a priority pick. He came from the Anyang Technical High School youth team and was introduced as the club’s first priority pick.
Source 01 · Money S (Korean) · FC Anyang signs rookies for the 2019 season · opens in a new tabSource 31 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · The path from the knee injury to his return · opens in a new tabCame on as a substitute in a round 7 away match at Asan Yi Sun-sin Stadium and scored the opening goal in the 87th minute, and his team won 2-0.
Source 02 · Sportsgenius (Korean) · First K League goal · opens in a new tabScored two goals in the tournament and helped South Korea win it. In the final in Bangkok, Thailand, South Korea beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 after extra time for the first title in the tournament, with six wins in six matches.
Source 03 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · Cho Gue-sung moves to Jeonbuk · opens in a new tabSource 04 · Kyongbuk Ilbo via Yonhap (Korean) · 2020 AFC U-23 Championship win · opens in a new tabAfter 14 goals and 4 assists in 33 matches for K League 2’s FC Anyang, top among domestic players (fourth overall), and a place at forward in the 2019 K League Awards Best XI, he moved to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
Source 03 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · Cho Gue-sung moves to Jeonbuk · opens in a new tabStarted on the left wing against Daegu FC at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Lee Dong-gook’s retirement match, and scored in the 26th and 39th minutes to secure the team’s K League 1 title.
Source 05 · Kyunghyang Shinmun (Korean) · Jeonbuk win K League 1, Lee Dong-gook retires · opens in a new tabIn the final against Ulsan Hyundai, he chested the ball down and passed it to Lee Seung-gi for the winning goal. Jeonbuk won 2-1 and took the FA Cup for the first time since 2005, 15 years, and for the first time in the club’s history completed the league and cup double.
Source 06 · Kyongbuk Domin Ilbo (Korean) · 2020 FA Cup final · opens in a new tabWas among the 14 final entrants in men’s football announced by the Armed Forces Athletic Corps, which said the entrants would report to the Nonsan army training center that day.
Source 07 · Newsen (Korean) · Final passes for Gimcheon Sangmu · opens in a new tab Mar. 8 is the scheduled reporting date from the Feb. 3, 2021 announcement; no article reporting the actual enlistment was found.He and Oh Se-hun were dropped from the second Tokyo Olympics squad list, ending his chance of playing at the Olympics.
Source 08 · Sports Today (Korean) · Left off the second Tokyo Olympics list · opens in a new tabMade his senior international debut by starting as a forward against Lebanon in Qatar World Cup final qualifying at Suwon World Cup Stadium.
Source 09 · Nocut News (Korean) · International debut against Lebanon · opens in a new tabWas discharged from Gimcheon Sangmu and returned to Jeonbuk. At halftime of the match against FC Seoul at Jeonju World Cup Stadium he greeted fans and was given number 10.
Source 10 · Goal.com (Korean) · Discharged, back at Jeonbuk · opens in a new tabWon the top scorer award at the Hana One Q K League 1 2022 awards with 17 goals: 7 penalties, 5 with the left foot, 3 with the right foot and 2 headers.
Source 11 · Daily Sports Hankook (Korean) · K League 1 2022 awards, top scorer · opens in a new tabScored twice in the second leg of the final against FC Seoul, a 3-1 win, 5-3 on aggregate for a fifth FA Cup. Cho was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
Source 12 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 2022 FA Cup final, MVP · opens in a new tabCame on in the 29th minute of the second half of the first group match and did not score. His looks became a talking point, posts asking who he was flooded Twitter, and his Instagram followers rose sharply in a day.
Source 30 · Money Today (Korean) · The “overnight star” against Uruguay · opens in a new tabSource 13 · Nocut News (Korean) · Cho Gue-sung and Lee Kang-in, faces of the World Cup in four years · opens in a new tabIn the match against Ghana at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, he scored two headers in the 13th and 16th minutes of the second half, the first South Korean to score two goals in one World Cup match. South Korea lost 2-3, but the performance made him a nationwide star almost at once.
Started against Portugal as well and, without a goal, held his own in aerial duels and physical play. South Korea won 2-1 and reached the round of 16.
Source 13 · Nocut News (Korean) · Cho Gue-sung and Lee Kang-in, faces of the World Cup in four years · opens in a new tabLeft Jeonbuk and signed with Denmark’s Midtjylland through 2028. Earlier it was reported that Jeonbuk had received a formal offer of £2.6 million, about 4.2 billion won.
Source 17 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Midtjylland officially sign him · opens in a new tabIn round 1 of the Superliga against Hvidovre at MCH Arena in Herning, he scored the winner with a header in the 11th minute of the second half. It was the club’s official 1,000th match, and Cho was named man of the match.
Source 18 · Inter Football (Korean) · Debut and first goal for Midtjylland · opens in a new tabIn the Asian Cup round of 16 in Al Rayyan, Qatar, with South Korea trailing 0-1, he headed in an equalizer in the 9th minute of second-half stoppage time (98:32). It was the latest goal in a 90-minute South Korean senior international match.
Source 19 · Sports Kyunghyang (Korean) · Last-gasp equalizer against Saudi Arabia at the Asian Cup · opens in a new tab The Sports Kyunghyang text gives the 31st, while a photo caption in the same article gives the 30th in Qatar local time. The 654 days that Footballist cites in its 2025 return-goal article is counted from Jan. 30 local time.In match 32 against Silkeborg in Herning, he set up the equalizer with a through ball. Midtjylland drew 3-3 and still won a fourth Superliga title, and Cho finished the season with 12 goals and 4 assists in 30 matches, fifth in scoring.
Source 20 · Sportalkorea (Korean) · Midtjylland win the Danish league · opens in a new tab In Danish local time it was May 26.After knee surgery, complications as well prolonged his recovery. Midtjylland said he would be out for several months.
Source 21 · Newsis (Korean) · Complications after knee surgery · opens in a new tab The articles do not give the surgery date, so only that it came right after last season is stated.Came on for Son Heung-min in the 30th minute of the second half of a friendly against Bolivia at Daejeon World Cup Stadium, his first national team appearance in 598 days, and scored the clincher in the 42nd minute, his first goal in 654 days since his last for the national team. South Korea won 2-0.
Source 22 · Footballist (Korean) · Goal on his international return against Bolivia · opens in a new tabIn round 6 of the Europa League league phase against Genk in Herning, he pushed in a second ball in the 17th minute for his first goal in the competition. Midtjylland won 1-0.
Source 23 · Inter Football (Korean) · First Europa League goal against Genk · opens in a new tabCame on in the 13th minute of the second half of the round of 16 first leg at The City Ground in Nottingham and headed in Ousmane Diao’s cross in the 35th minute for the winner. Midtjylland won 1-0.
Source 24 · Newsis via Donga.com (Korean) · Winner in the Europa League round of 16 at Nottingham · opens in a new tabHis name was on the 26-man final squad that coach Hong Myung-bo announced at the KT Gwanghwamun Building in Jongno, Seoul, as a forward, putting him at his second World Cup.
Source 25 · Star News (Korean) · Final 26-man squad for the North America World Cup · opens in a new tabIn a pre-World Cup friendly in Provo, Utah, he headed in a ball lifted by Lee Dong-gyeong and completed his brace with a right-footed shot two minutes later. Son Heung-min also scored twice and South Korea won 5-0.
Source 26 · Dong-A Ilbo (Korean) · Two goals against Trinidad and Tobago · opens in a new tabCame on in the second half and tried a header in the 87th minute, but goalkeeper Raúl Rangel saved it. Mexico’s Romo had turned in a ball loose after goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu collided with Lee Ki-hyuk, and South Korea lost 0-1.
Source 27 · Good Morning Vietnam (Korean) · Narrow loss to Mexico at the North America World Cup · opens in a new tabCame on in the second half for Oh Hyeon-gyu against South Africa in Monterrey, Mexico. South Korea conceded the winner to Maseko, lost 0-1 and went out in the group stage with one win and two losses.
Source 28 · Money Today (Korean) · Shock loss to South Africa at the North America World Cup · opens in a new tabSource 29 · Sports Chosun (Korean) · Group-stage exit at the North America World Cup confirmed · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2019–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
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AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
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Sports · South Korea
Jan 25, 1998 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1998: the year of the event minus 1998, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.21 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.