21-YEAR-OLD WINGER SIGNS FIRST PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT
Montreal, January 21, 2026 - The Montréal Roses are pleased to welcome South Korean winger Hanbin Choi, who makes the jump to professional soccer following a decorated university career in Seoul.
At just 21 years old, Hanbin has already established herself as one of the most promising young talents in Korean women’s soccer. A rising star at Korea University (고려대학교), she earned two caps with the South Korean senior national team at the 2025 Pink Ladies Cup, an invitational tournament featuring eight nations in the United Arab Emirates. She previously represented her country at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, where South Korea reached the Round of 16.
A prolific scorer at the university level, Hanbin was named Golden Boot of the Year at the 2024 DEVELON Korea Women’s Football Awards, recognizing her as the top scorer across all university competitions in the country. She followed that up by winning MVP at the 2025 Spring Korea Women’s Federation Cup while leading her team to back-to-back titles at the Yeowanggi (여왕기), Korea’s prestigious national women’s championship. She was also named Outstanding Player at the 2025 Korea Women’s Football Federation Awards.
In 31 appearances across the 2024 and 2025 university seasons, Hanbin recorded 17 goals and 5 assists. She becomes the second South Korean player on the Roses roster, joining midfielder Chaerim Kang.
"Hanbin has enormous potential,” said Marinette Pichon, sporting director of the Montréal Roses. “She represented South Korea at the senior level while still in university – that speaks to her quality. She scores goals, she’s fast, she’s direct. At 21, she’s coming here to develop and begin her professional career. We believe Montreal is the right environment for her to take that next step.”
"This is a dream come true,” said Hanbin. “I’ve always wanted to test myself at the professional level, and to have that opportunity in a league like the NSL is extraordinary. I want to learn, improve, and contribute to the team’s success. I can’t wait to get started.”
Following this transaction, Roses FC now have 21 players under contract for the 2026 season. In the Northern Super League, teams can carry between 20 and 27 players, with a salary cap of $1.6 million per club. Each team has eight international roster spots.
