| Wang Yudong | |
| Fullname: | Wang Yudong |
| Birth Date: | 23 November 2006 |
| Birth Place: | Fenghua, Zhejiang, China |
| Height: | 1.83 m |
| Currentclub: | Zhejiang |
| Clubnumber: | 39 |
| Position: | Striker |
| Youthclubs1: | Shanghai Shenrui |
| Youthclubs2: | Taizhou Ostrich |
| Youthyears3: | 2021 |
| Youthclubs3: | Ningbo Sports School |
| Youthyears4: | 2021–2023 |
| Youthclubs4: | Zhejiang FA |
| Years1: | 2023– |
| Clubs1: | Zhejiang |
| Caps1: | 5 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2022– |
| Nationalteam1: | China U17 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 6 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 11 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2023– |
| Nationalteam2: | China U23 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 30 April 2024 |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 30 April 2024 |
Wang Yudong (; born 23 November 2006) is a Chinese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Chinese Super League club Zhejiang.
Born in Dayan Town in the Fenghua District of Ningbo on 23 November 2006,[1] Wang Yudong moved to Shenzhen at a young age, as his father had done business there, being educated at Shenzhen Dongfang Primary School.[2] To help with Wang Yudong's development in football, his father built him a football pitch in Shenzhen, and formed an amateur football club.[3] After moving back to Zhejiang, his home province, he first joined the Shanghai Shenrui,[3] then moved to the Zhejiang Ostrich youth academy.[4] In 2021, he joined Ningbo Sports School to play in the Ningbo Football Super League.[4]
In 2021, Wang Yudong started training with the Zhejiang FA youth team, a feeder team to Zhejiang.[4]
On 20 July 2023, he signed his first professional contract at Zhejiang, joining the first-team with immediate effect.[5] Five days later on 25 July, he made his senior debut for Zhejiang, coming on as a substitute for Yue Xin in a 5–1 loss to Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese FA Cup.[6] Wang made his Chinese Super League debut a month later on 26 August, coming on for the final six minutes in a 3–0 win over Dalian Pro.[7]
On 20 September, he came on to make his AFC Champions League debut in a 4–1 away defeat to Buriram United, becoming the youngest Chinese footballer to ever make an appearance in the competition.[8] On 29 October 2023, he made his first goal contribution for Zhejiang, in a league game against Cangzhou Mighty Lions, providing an assist for Ji Shengpan to seal the victory for the club at 6–1.[9] On 26 February 2024, he was awarded the 2023 Chinese Golden Boy award for the under-17 level.[10]
Wang Yudong had first been involved in China youth teams in 2019, when he was selected for a China U12 squad. He later captained in the U14 level, and later on featured in U16 squads as early as 2021.[11]
In 2022, he was selected for 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualification matches with the China under-17 national team,[12] where he scored eight goals in three games, gaining qualification into the final tournament.[13]
On 3 June 2023, he was named in the final squad for the 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup.[14] In the Asian Cup, Wang Yudong scored a double against Australia,[15] and another goal against Tajikistan.[16]
On 26 December 2023, Wang Yudong made his debut for the China under-23 national team in a friendly against Malaysia, aged 17.[17] Three months later on 5 April 2024, Wang was included in the China U23 squad for the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.[18]
In 2022, Wang Yudong claimed in an interview that he is a fan of Neymar's playing style.[3]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Zhejiang | 2023 | Chinese Super League | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2024 | Chinese Super League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |||
Individual