Xiuwei Zhang

Zhang Xiuwei's route to the Chinese Super League ran through France before it ran through the domestic league system. He left Chengdu Youth for Olympique Lyonnais's academy in April 2014, made two appearances for the club's reserve side in the Championnat de France Amateur, then returned home in February 2016 to sign for Tianjin Quanjian in China League One. The move paid off quickly: Tianjin won the title that year, earning promotion, and Zhang scored his first senior goal in a match against Wuhan Zall that September.

His time at the club, later renamed Tianjin Tianhai, was not without trouble. He was suspended in 2017 following a drunk driving incident, and in 2018 he received a nine-month ban after using a false identity to play in youth competitions. He returned to add his first Chinese Super League goal, against Shandong Luneng in June 2017, and helped the side reach the top flight before Guangzhou Evergrande signed him in February 2019 for a fee reported at around €2.6 million. He won the Chinese Super League title with Guangzhou that same year.

At international level, Zhang represented China's under-23 side, scoring once in six appearances, before making his senior debut in a 2–0 win over Syria in October 2018. He went on to earn two senior caps.

Zhang joined Qingdao West Coast on a free transfer in July 2023 and played a part in the club's runners-up finish in China League One that year, which brought promotion to the Chinese Super League for 2024. He continued scoring for his new club, netting in a 2–2 draw with Tianjin Jinmen Tiger in April 2025.