Draft:Sakura Leong
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sakura Leong | ||
| Date of birth | May 2009 (age 17) | ||
| Place of birth | Perth, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Perth Glory | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2019–2020 | Subiaco AFC | ||
| 2021–2026 | Football West Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2026– | Perth Glory | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2025– | Australia U17 | ||
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 8 September 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 8 September 2026 | |||
Sakura Leong (born May 2009) is an Australian professional footballer from Perth, Western Australia, who plays as a defender for A-League Women club Perth Glory.[1] Regarded as part of Australia's emerging generation of women's soccer players, she has represented Australia at under-16 and under-17 international levels as a member of the CommBank Junior Matildas.[2] She represented Australia at the AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup and helped the national team qualify for its first-ever appearance at a FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.[3]
Early life and youth career
[edit]Leong was born and raised in Subiaco, Western Australia. She attended John Curtin College of the Arts as a student in its Specialist Football Program.[4] She progressed through the Western Australian state youth soccer pathways, playing junior development football before tracking into elite academy structures.[1][5]
Club career
[edit]Football West Academy
[edit]From 2021 to 2026, Leong played for Football West's National Training Centre (NTC) program, which was rebranded as the Hyundai Football West Academy in 2025.[1][5] She represented the academy squad in the National Premier Leagues Western Australia Women.[6] In July 2025, she was identified by soccer media as an academy player selected to the extended Junior Matildas national squad for the ASEAN U16 Girls' Championship.[7] By 2026, she served as a regular defensive fixture and captain for the Football West Academy setup.[5]
Perth Glory
[edit]Leong integrated with Perth Glory's A-League Women squad as a train-on player during the 2025–26 season campaign.[1] On 8 September 2026, Perth Glory officially announced that she had been signed to her first professional senior scholarship contract with the club for the 2026–27 A-League Women season.[1][5]
State team career
[edit]Leong advanced through the Western Australian state representative teams competing in the National Youth Championships and Emerging Matildas pathways.[1][5] Her local match performances across regional state tournaments preceded her formal inclusion in the active international pathway setups.[7][8]
International career
[edit]In July 2025, she won selection to the active Junior Matildas roster for the 2025 ASEAN U-16 Girls' Championship in Indonesia.[7] She started as a defender in the final match on 29 August 2025, where Australia clinched the tournament championship title by defeating Thailand 1–0.[8]
In September 2025, Leong was selected for a national training camp in Canberra to prepare for international tournament qualifiers.[9]
In April 2026, she was named to Australia's official 23-player squad for the 2026 AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup in Suzhou, China, and was profiled by SBS News as part of Australia's next generation of international talent.[2][10] She started all three group stage matches, as well as the quarter-final against Vietnam and the semi-final against Japan, helping the Junior Matildas qualify for Australia's first-ever appearance at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.[11][12] Following her signing with Perth Glory, she returned to national team training camp preparation ahead of the World Cup.[1][13]
Personal life
[edit]Leong is of mixed heritage, born to an Australian father of Chinese Malaysian descent and a mother of Japanese descent, and is fluent in both English and Japanese languages.[10][14] Her development pathway has been highlighted in media features by Football Australia and national broadcasters covering emerging women's sport structures in Western Australia.[10][14]
Honours
[edit]Australia U17 / Junior Matildas
- FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup qualification: 2026[3]
Australia U16 / Junior Matildas
- ASEAN U16 Girls' Championship: 2025[8]
Football West Academy
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Exciting WA youngster Leong joins Glory ALW squad on scholarship contract". perthglory.com.au. Perth Glory. 8 September 2026. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
- 1 2 "CommBank Junior Matildas squad revealed for AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup China 2026™". Football Australia. 27 April 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Congratulations to 2HfD trained footballer Sakura Leong". Facebook. 2 Halfs Football Development. 12 May 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
- ↑ "Year 11 Football Students Shine on International Stage with Junior Matildas". John Curtin College of the Arts. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Congratulations to Hyundai Football West Academy product Sakura Leong who has signed a scholarship contract with A-Leagues side Perth Glory". Facebook. Football West. 8 September 2026. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Coaches' Starting XI". Facebook. Football West NTC. 23 October 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Junior Matildas extended squad for ASEAN U16s announced". Impetus Football. 25 July 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 Bullock, Kristian (29 August 2025). "CommBank Junior Matildas clinch ASEAN U16 Girls' Championship 2025 title". Football Australia. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ "Congratulations Sakura Leong". Facebook. 2 Halfs Football Development. 16 September 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Next generation rises as Junior Matildas target Asian Cup success". SBS News. 27 April 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ "CommBank Junior Matildas held to a draw by Lebanon in second game of AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup China 2026™". Football Australia. 7 May 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ "CommBank Junior Matildas defeated 4-0 by Japan in AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup 2026™ semi-final". Football Australia. 14 May 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ "CommBank Junior Matildas assemble for a final domestic training camp ahead of FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Morocco 2026™". Football Australia. 23 August 2026. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- 1 2 "2025 Emerging Matildas interview". YouTube. 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ Kelechi Chinaemerem (20 October 2025). "NPL - Women's Coaches' Team of the Year". Facebook. Perth Football Podcast. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
External links
[edit]- Official profile at Matildas