Julia Benati

Julia Benati
Benati accepting the L1O League Cup Championship trophy in 2024
Personal information
Full name Julia Marie Benati[1]
Date of birth (1996-09-18) 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
Number 4
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 (3)
2026– Halifax Tides FC 0 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of October 17, 2025

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.

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
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Playoffs National cup League cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
FC London 2016[41] League1 Ontario 104——??104
2017[42] 81——??81
2018[43] 10100—??101
2019[44] 13550——185
2021[45] 10310——113
2022[46] 171210——1812
Total 68267000007526
Medkila 2022[1] 1. divisjon 82—00—82
Valadares Gaia 2022–23 Campeonato Nacional Feminino 110—00—110
Valadares Gaia B 2022–23 Campeonato Nacional II Divisão Feminino 21———21
FC London 2023[47] League1 Ontario 9200——92
2024[48] 1711——442115
Total 26130000443017
Ottawa Rapid FC 2025 Northern Super League 23220——252
Career total 1384490004415148

Honours

Club

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 "Julia Benati". Norsk & Internasjonal Fotballstatistikk (in Norwegian). NTB.
  2. ↑ "Women's Soccer Reveals 2014 Recruiting Class". Buffalo Bulls. February 13, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Nor'West breeding success". London Sports Xpress. November 8, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Women's Soccer Blanks Bonnies In Season Opening Victory, 1-0". Buffalo Bulls. August 22, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Women's Soccer Sweeps Major MAC Awards; Eight Earn All-Conference Honors". Buffalo Bulls. November 6, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Julia Benati Buffalo Bulls profile". Buffalo Bulls.
  7. ↑ "Five Women's Soccer Players Earn All-MAC Accolades". Buffalo Bulls. November 5, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Women's Soccer Places Four On All-MAC Team". Buffalo Bulls. November 3, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Women's Soccer Sees Program Record Eight Student-Athletes Earn Academic All-MAC Honors". Buffalo Bulls. November 17, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Women's Soccer Places Five On All-MAC Squads". Buffalo Bulls. November 2, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Julia Benati Earns United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-Midwest Region Nod". Buffalo Bulls. November 29, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Seven Bulls Earn Academic All-MAC Nod". Buffalo Bulls. November 16, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Cutrona And Benati Earn CoSIDA Academic All-District Nod". Buffalo Bulls. November 13, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Julia Benati Earns NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship". Buffalo Bulls. April 20, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Julia Benati Named 2018 NCAA Woman Of The Year Nominee". Buffalo Bulls. July 13, 2018.
  16. ↑ Devlin, Todd (August 18, 2021). "Benati, FC women off to fast start". Gameday London.
  17. ↑ "Club thrilled with League1 debut". London Sports Xpress. September 10, 2016.
  18. ↑ "League1 Ontario Announces 2016 Women's First And Second Team All-Stars". League1 Ontario. November 18, 2016. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Standout Performers Recognized At League1 Ontario 2017 Awards Banquet". League1 Ontario. November 13, 2017. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Top 2018 Performers Recognized At Year-End Awards Gala". League1 Ontario. November 26, 2018. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Stakic, Benati Selected As 2019 League1 Midfielders Of The Year". League1 Ontario. October 3, 2019. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Men's And Women's 2019 First, Second And Third Team All-Stars". League1 Ontario. September 30, 2019. Archived from the original on February 11, 2024.
  23. ↑ Thompson, Marty (December 21, 2021). "2021 L1O Women's Premier Division Awards: Twidle Earns MVP, FC London Dominate Again". League1 Ontario.
  24. 1 2 "Former Bulls Carissima Cutrona and Julia Benati Reunite To Play Professionally in Norway". Buffalo Bulls. August 25, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Julia Benati and Olivia Smith highly commended as Women's Premier Division 2022 awards are confirmed". League1 Ontario. November 15, 2022. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Simcoe skipper Cloey Uddenberg at the heart of the 2022 Women's Premier Division All-Star team". League1 Ontario. November 17, 2022. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Her er jentene som kan redde Medkila: – Vi er alle angrepsspillere" [Here are the girls who can save Medkila: - We are all attacking players]. iHardstad (in Norwegian). September 10, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Ny angrepsduo dro rett på Medkila-trening" [New attacking duo went straight to Medkila training]. Harstad Tidende (in Norwegian). August 25, 2022.
  29. ↑ Pyette, Ryan (January 12, 2023). "Sports Notes: Lightning prep for tip-off; Jr. Knights shine: Benati signs". London Free Press.
  30. ↑ "Går fra Medkila til portugisisk klubb" [Going from Medkila to Portuguese club]. Harstad Tidende (in Norwegian). January 11, 2023.
  31. ↑ Pyette, Ryan (June 1, 2023). "Soccer MVP awaits Portuguese pro club's all-clear before rejoining FC London". London Free Press.
  32. ↑ "Premier Division stars celebrated in 2024 awards". League1 Ontario. November 1, 2024.
  33. ↑ "NSL's Ottawa Rapid FC announce ex-League1 Ontario midfielder Julia Benati as first club signing". Canadian Soccer Daily. January 6, 2025.
  34. ↑ Pyette, Ryan (January 15, 2025). "FC London alum signs with new Canadian pro soccer league: 'Really cool'". London Free Press.
  35. ↑ "Ottawa Rapid FC Secures 3-0 Home Win over Vancouver Rise FC". Our Sports Central. May 15, 2025.
  36. ↑ Healey, Josh (January 15, 2026). "Tides pick up another former Rapid in midfielder Julia Benati". HFX Football Post.
  37. ↑ "Tides Welcome Midfielder Julia Benati for 2026". Halifax Tides FC. January 14, 2026. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  38. ↑ Jacques, John (January 14, 2026). "Tides Sign Rapid Midfielder Julia Benati". Northern Tribune.
  39. ↑ "Dr. Julia Benati". Dorchester Family Chiropractic Centre.
  40. ↑ "Chasing Dreams on the Pitch and in Practice". The Canadian Canadian Chiropractic Association. June 5, 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  41. ↑ "Julia Benati 2016 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  42. ↑ "Julia Benati 2017 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  43. ↑ "Julia Benati 2018 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  44. ↑ "Julia Benati 2019 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  45. ↑ "Julia Benati 2021 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  46. ↑ "Julia Benati 2022 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  47. ↑ "Julia Benati 2023 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  48. ↑ "Julia Benati 2024 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
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