Julia Benati

Julia Benati
Benati accepting the L1O League Cup Championship trophy in 2024
Personal information
Full name Julia Marie Benati
Date of birth (1996-09-18) September 18, 1996 (age 30)
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 15 (4)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of September 10, 2026

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.

College career

In 2014, Benati began attending the University of Buffalo, where she played for the women's soccer team. She scored her first goal in her debut on August 22, 2014, in a 1-0 victory over the St. Bonaventure Bonnies. At the end of her first season, she was named to the Mid-American Conference All-Freshman Team. 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. In 2016, she was once again named to the All-MAC Second Team and earned Academic All-MAC honours once again. At the end of her senior season, Benati was named to the All-MAC First Team, All-Midwest Region Third Team, Academic All-MAC, and Academic All-District. 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.

Club career

In 2016, Benati began playing with FC London in League1 Ontario. In 2016, she was named to the mid-season league all-star team that played the PLSQ All-Star team and was named a league Second Team All-Star at the end of the season. In 2017, she was named a league Third Team All-Star. In 2018, she was named a league First Team All-Star. In 2019, Benati was named the league's Midfielder of the Year and a First Team All-Star. In 2021, she once again was named the league's Top Midfielder and a First Team All-Star. In 2022, she became team captain and at the end of the season was named the league Most Valuable Player, Midfielder of the Year, and a First Team All-Star.

In August 2022, Benati signed with Norwegian club Medkila in the top tier 1. divisjon.

In January 2023, she signed with Portuguese club Valadares Gaia in the Campeonato Nacional Feminino.

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. In 2024, she was again named the league Midfielder of the Year and a First Team All-Star.

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. On May 15, 2025, she scored her first goal in a 3-0 victory over Vancouver Rise FC. She featured mainly as a substitute for the Rapid, scoring three goals and adding one assist, in 23 appearances.

On January 14, 2026, it was announced that Benati had signed with NSL side Halifax Tides FC for the 2026 season. On September 5, 2026, she scored from the midfield line in the fifth minute of stoppage time, to give her team a 1-0 victory over Vancouver Rise FC.

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. 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."

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 League1 Ontario 104——??104
2017 81——??81
2018 10100—??101
2019 13550——185
2021 10310——113
2022 171210——1812
Total 68267000007526
Medkila 2022 1. divisjon 82—00—82
Valadares Gaia 2022–23[citation needed] Campeonato Nacional Feminino 110—00—110
Valadares Gaia B 2022–23[citation needed] Campeonato Nacional II Divisão Feminino 21———21
FC London 2023 League1 Ontario 9200——92
2024 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. ↑ Dias, Fleur (September 6, 2026). "Benati's last-minute stunner grabs Halifax a crucial victory in the race for playoffs". TrueNorthFoot.
  40. ↑ "Benati scores in stoppage time as Tides edge Rise in NSL battle". TSN. September 5, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Dr. Julia Benati". Dorchester Family Chiropractic Centre.
  42. ↑ "Chasing Dreams on the Pitch and in Practice". The Canadian Canadian Chiropractic Association. June 5, 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  43. ↑ "Julia Benati 2016 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  44. ↑ "Julia Benati 2017 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  45. ↑ "Julia Benati 2018 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  46. ↑ "Julia Benati 2019 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  47. ↑ "Julia Benati 2021 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  48. ↑ "Julia Benati 2022 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  49. ↑ "Julia Benati 2023 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  50. ↑ "Julia Benati 2024 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  51. ↑ Julia Benati at Soccerway