Liu Haofan


Liu Haofan is a Chinese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Chinese Super League club Zhejiang FC and the China national team.

Early life

Born in Wuhan, Hubei, Liu Haofan was educated at No. 5 Primary School of Qianchuan Street, Huangpi District, where he trained football in his six-year spell.

Club career

Zhejiang

On 18 May 2022, after progressing through the Zhejiang FC youth ranks, he was named in the club's first-team squad for the 2022 Chinese Super League season. On 9 October 2022, he made his senior and professional debut, in a 3–0 away league win over Wuhan Yangtze River, coming on as a second-half injury-time substitute for Gu Bin. By the end of the 2022 season, he earned ten appearances for the club, with seven in the league and three in the Chinese FA Cup. On 20 September 2023, Liu Haofan made his AFC Champions League debut, in a 4–1 loss to Thai club Buriram United, coming on for Leung Nok Hang in the 90th minute. In the 2023 season, he recorded twelve appearances, including nine in the league and three in the AFC Champions League.
Between June and September 2024, Liu Haofan gained more consistent playing time, making appearances in all matches in that period. On 29 September 2024, Liu Haofan received heart surgery due to discomfort from the area, which had him ruled out for the rest of the season. In an interview from two months after, Liu Haofan claimed that the first instance where he had felt discomfort was two or three years before, and that his recovery was on track.

International career

In February 2023, Liu Haofan was selected for the China squad to compete in the 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup. On 3 March, in China's first group stage match against Japan, Liu Haofan's header caused an own goal by Hayato Tanaka to take the lead; China eventually lost the game 2–1.
On 5 April 2024, he was selected for China's squad in the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
On 28 February 2025, Liu Haofan earned his first call-up to the China national team, in preparation for two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier games against Saudi Arabia and Australia.

Honours

China U23