Julia Benati
Canadian soccer player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Julia Marie Benati (born September 18, 1996) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Halifax Tides FC in the Northern Super League .
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Benati accepting the L1O League Cup Championship trophy in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Julia Marie Benati[1] | ||
| Date of birth | September 18, 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Dorchester, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Halifax Tides FC | ||
| Youth career | |||
| North London SC | |||
| Dorchester SC | |||
| NorWest London | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2017 | Buffalo Bulls | 76 | (18) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2022 | FC London | 68 | (26) |
| 2022 | Medkila | 8 | (2) |
| 2023 | Valadares Gaia | 11 | (0) |
| 2023 | Valadares Gaia B | 2 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | FC London | 26 | (13) |
| 2025 | Ottawa Rapid | 23 | (2) |
| 2026– | Halifax Tides FC | 0 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of October 17, 2025 | |||
Early life
Benati played youth soccer with North London SC, Dorchester SC, and NorWest London.[2]
College career
In 2014, Benati began attending the University of Buffalo, where she played for the women's soccer team.[3] She scored her first goal in her debut on August 22, 2014, in a 1-0 victory over the St. Bonaventure Bonnies.[4] At the end of her first season, she was named to the Mid-American Conference All-Freshman Team.[5] At the end of her sophomore season, she was named to the All-MAC Second Team, earned Academic All-MAC honours and was named to the MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete list.[6][7] In 2016, she was once again named to the All-MAC Second Team and earned Academic All-MAC honours once again.[8][9] At the end of her senior season, Benati was named to the All-MAC First Team,[10] All-Midwest Region Third Team,[11] Academic All-MAC,[12] and Academic All-District.[13] She was became the first Buffalo women's soccer student-athlete to receive the NCAA postgraduate scholarship and was nominated for the 2018 NCAA Woman Of The Year.[14][15]
Club career
In 2016, Benati began playing with FC London in League1 Ontario.[16] In 2016, she was named to the mid-season league all-star team that played the PLSQ All-Star team[17] and was named a league Second Team All-Star at the end of the season.[18] In 2017, she was named a league Third Team All-Star.[19] In 2018, she was named a league First Team All-Star.[20] In 2019, Benati was named the league's Midfielder of the Year and a First Team All-Star.[21][22] In 2021, she once again was named the league's Top Midfielder and a First Team All-Star.[23] In 2022, she became team captain[24] and at the end of the season was named the league Most Valuable Player, Midfielder of the Year, and a First Team All-Star.[25][26]
In August 2022, Benati signed with Norwegian club Medkila in the top tier 1. divisjon.[24][27][28]
In January 2023, she signed with Portuguese club Valadares Gaia in the Campeonato Nacional Feminino.[29][30]
In June 2023, she returned to FC London, with her arrival delayed while she had to wait for the Portuguese Football Federation to approve her contract termination with Gaia.[31] In 2024, she was again named the league Midfielder of the Year and a First Team All-Star.[32]
In January 2025, Benati signed with Ottawa Rapid FC in the Northern Super League, becoming the club's first ever signing, ahead of their inaugural season.[33][34] On May 15, 2025, she scored her first goal in a 3-0 victory over Vancouver Rise FC.[35] She featured mainly as a substitute for the Rapid, scoring three goals and adding one assist, in 23 appearances.[36]
On January 14, 2026, it was announced that Benati had signed with NSL side Halifax Tides FC for the 2026 season.[37][38]
Personal life
Benati is a licensed chiropractor, having studied at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College and becoming a Doctor of Chiropractic after her undergraduate studies.[39] She stepped away from clinical practice after being offered a place with Ottawa Rapid in their inaugural season, saying "I love being a chiropractor, and I also want to compete at the highest level possible. You can’t live with regrets—sometimes you have to take the leap."[40]
Career statistics
- As of November 8, 2025
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | National cup | League cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FC London | 2016[41] | League1 Ontario | 10 | 4 | — | — | ? | ? | 10 | 4 | ||
| 2017[42] | 8 | 1 | — | — | ? | ? | 8 | 1 | ||||
| 2018[43] | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | ? | ? | 10 | 1 | |||
| 2019[44] | 13 | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 5 | ||||
| 2021[45] | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 3 | ||||
| 2022[46] | 17 | 12 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 12 | ||||
| Total | 68 | 26 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 26 | ||
| Medkila | 2022[1] | 1. divisjon | 8 | 2 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 2 | ||
| Valadares Gaia | 2022–23[citation needed] | Campeonato Nacional Feminino | 11 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Valadares Gaia B | 2022–23[citation needed] | Campeonato Nacional II Divisão Feminino | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | |||
| FC London | 2023[47] | League1 Ontario | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 2 | ||
| 2024[48] | 17 | 11 | — | — | 4 | 4 | 21 | 15 | ||||
| Total | 26 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 17 | ||
| Ottawa Rapid FC | 2025 | Northern Super League | 23 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 138 | 44 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 151 | 48 | ||