Zhang Linpeng (; born 9 May 1989) is a Chinese professional
footballer who plays as a
defender for
Chinese Super League club
Shanghai Port.
Zhang is known by the nickname “Zhangmos” for his similarity in looks and playstyle to
Sergio Ramos. An offensive minded defender, Zhang is also known for his tackling ability and aerial game in China. He was highly praised by Italian manager
Marcello Lippi
Marcello Romeo Lippi (; born 12 April 1948) is an Italian former professional association football, football player and manager, who led the Italy national football team, Italy national team to victory in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
He was appoin ...
who described him as "the best Chinese footballer in the Chinese Super League".
Club career
Zhang Linpeng would play as a youngster for the
Genbao Football Academy before he graduated to the
Shanghai East Asia's first team at the beginning of the 2006 league season. With the club in the third tier, Zhang quickly made an impression within the team when he was part of the squad that won promotion to the second tier at the end of the 2007 league season. Within the second tier, Zhang played a major part in ensuring the club remained in the division and by the
2009 season, the club finished fourth and just missed out on promotion. His performance for his club then saw him receive an unexpected call-up to the
Chinese national team where he impressed many by scoring on his debut against
Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
, and he became one of the most sought-after players in China.
Guangzhou Evergrande
In November 2010, Zhang joined
Chinese Super League club
Guangzhou Evergrande for a fee of ¥12 million.
He made his debut for the club on 2 April 2011 in a 1–0 win against
Dalian Shide. Throughout the season, Zhang was used as a squad player as Guangzhou won their first ever league title at the end of the 2012 season. He soon established himself as a mainstay in the team's backline during the 2013 season, leading the club to a third straight league title as well as an
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club association football, football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's List of top-division football clubs i ...
title, the first in the club's history.

During preseason before the 2015 season, Zhang sustained a medial accessory ligament tear on his left knee joint on 7 February 2015 in a friendly match against
Hangzhou Greentown. While recovering from his surgery in Italy, Zhang was linked with
Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
side
Inter Milan
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
with manager
Roberto Mancini also confirming his interest in Zhang. However, Guangzhou insisted that Zhang was worth €10 million which far exceeded what Inter was willing to pay. After recovering from injury, Zhang came on as a substitute and scored a goal on 3 April 2015 in a 2–1 loss against
Henan Jianye. He then went on to score a 60-meter goal on 12 April 2015 in a 6–1 win against
Liaoning Whowin. On 28 May 2015, he suffered a reoccurrence of a left knee strain on 27 May 2015 in a 2–0 win against
Seongnam FC
Seongnam Football Club () is a South Korean professional football (soccer), football club based in Seongnam that competes in the K League 2, the second tier of South Korean football. It is one of the most successful clubs in South Korea and the ...
. On 20 July 2015, Zhang extended his contract with Guangzhou until 31 December 2020. Zhang returned from injury on 12 August 2015 in a 1–0 win against
Jiangsu Sainty. On 28 August 2015,
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
side
Chelsea made an offer to Guangzhou for Zhang, hoping to complete the transfer before the summer transfer window closed; however, the deal couldn't be completed due to limited time while the two clubs failed to agree on certain terms during negotiations. Zhang stayed at Evergrande and won his second
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club association football, football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's List of top-division football clubs i ...
title with the team at the end of the season.
Zhang cemented his status as a club legend at Guangzhou Evergrande after winning 8
league titles, 2
Chinese FA Cup, 4
Chinese FA Super Cup and 2
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club association football, football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's List of top-division football clubs i ...
.
Return to Shanghai Port
On 29 April 2022, Zhang transferred back to his old side
Shanghai Port after 12 years. On 29 October 2023, Zhang won his ninth league title and the first one with Shanghai Port after a 1–1 home draw against league competitor,
Shandong Taishan.
International career
Zhang worked his way up through various youth levels, first by playing for the
Chinese under-20 national team in the
2008 AFC U-19 Championship where he captained the team to the quarter-finals. This saw him promoted to the
Chinese under-23 national team to play in the
2009 East Asian Games where China disappointingly were knocked out in the group stage.
Senior

Despite the under-23 national team's failures, Zhang's performances were considered good enough for then manager
Gao Hongbo to unexpectedly call him up to the national team even though he was playing for a second-tier side. He made an impressive international debut on 30 December 2009 in a 2–2 draw against
Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
, scoring on his debut as well. After his debut, Zhang was called up to the squad that won the
2010 East Asian Football Championship before establishing himself as a regular for the team that took part in the
2011 AFC Asian Cup.
Zhang played in all three of China's matches at the 2011 Asian Cup, scoring in the team's 2–0 win over
Kuwait
Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
. He also started in all four of China's matches at the
2015 AFC Asian Cup, where the team reached the quarter-finals, losing to hosts and eventual winners
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
in Brisbane.
Zhang appeared at his third
AFC Asian Cup
The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the continental champion of Asia. It is the second-oldest c ...
in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
and played the full 90 minutes in all of the team's first four matches. However, he was suspended for the quarter-final against
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, which China lost 3–0.
On 21 November 2023, Zhang made his 100th appearance for the national team in a 3-0 home defeat against
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
in the
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification will decide the 45 teams that will join hosts Canada men's national soccer team, Canada, Mexico national football team, Mexico, and the United States men's national soccer team, United States at the 2026 FIFA ...
.
In December 2023, Zhang was named in China's squad for the
2023 AFC Asian Cup
The 2023 AFC Asian Cup was the 18th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It involved 24 national teams after its expansion in 20 ...
in Qatar, again played full 90 minutes in all 3 group matches in his fourth tournament and captained the team in the first two.
In March 2024, Zhang announced his retirement from international football after an embarrassing performance against
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
during the
2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, before reversing his decision two days later.
Personal life
Zhang is of
Hui ethnicity and was known to be rebellious in his youth. He married his girlfriend Wang Qiaozhi on 21 May 2011 and their son was born on 1 September 2014.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list China's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Zhang goal.''
Honours
Club
Shanghai Port
*
Chinese Super League:
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
*
China League Two: 2007
Guangzhou
*
Chinese Super League:
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
,
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
,
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
,
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
,
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
,
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
,
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
*
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club association football, football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's List of top-division football clubs i ...
:
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
,
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
*
Chinese FA Cup:
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
,
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
*
Chinese FA Super Cup:
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
,
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
,
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
International
China
*
East Asian Football Championship:
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
Individual
*
Chinese Super League Team of the Year:
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
,
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
,
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
,
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
*
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club association football, football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's List of top-division football clubs i ...
Dream Team:
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
,
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
See also
*
List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
In association football, a cap is traditionally awarded in international football to a player making an official appearance for their national team. This article lists all men's football players who have played in 100 or more official internat ...
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Biographyat hudong.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhang, Linpeng
1989 births
Living people
Footballers from Jinan
Hui sportspeople
Chinese men's footballers
China men's international footballers
China men's youth international footballers
China men's under-20 international footballers
21st-century Chinese sportsmen
Shanghai Port F.C. players
Guangzhou F.C. players
Chinese Super League players
China League One players
China League Two players
2011 AFC Asian Cup players
2015 AFC Asian Cup players
2019 AFC Asian Cup players
2023 AFC Asian Cup players
Footballers at the 2010 Asian Games
Men's association football defenders
Asian Games competitors for China
FIFA Men's Century Club
AFC Champions League Elite–winning players
Chinese Muslims