Lee Kang-in, who had a roller coaster season, “I will show you my improvement”
South Korea’s Lee Kang-in, who won 1-0 in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asia 2nd round Group C match between Korea and China held at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 11th, is greeting fans in the cheering seats.
Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), who completed the 2023-24 season after many twists and turns, promised to show further growth through past experience.
On the 12th, Kang-in Lee posted a photo of himself with the national team in June on his social media (SNS), saying, “I was happy to be able to finish the last game of this season with a win in Korea,” and added, “I will prepare better based on my experience this season.” So, in the upcoming season, we will strive to provide enjoyment in the stadium with improved performance,” he said, expressing his thoughts at the end of the season.
He then said, “I am always grateful to the soccer fans who always support me with an unchanging heart,” and expressed his gratitude to the fans who support him and the national team.
The 2023-24 season was like a roller coaster for Lee Kang-in.
Lee Kang-in, who left Mallorca (Spain) last summer and joined Paris Saint-Germain, contributed to the team as a rotation member between selection and replacement.
Lee Kang-in played in 35 games across all competitions, scoring 5 goals and providing 5 assists, helping the team win three championships, including the French Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Tropez des Champions.
In particular, he was selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the game after scoring the winning goal in the Tropez des Champions held last January. Additionally, last April, he contributed to the league title by assisting Gonzalo Hamus’ tying header goal that sealed the early victory. However, Lee Kang-in was excluded from the starting lineup in all major games such as the UEFA Champions League semi-finals and the Coupe de France final, and was aware of the reality that he would have to continue to face fierce competition for the starting position.
The national team also experienced ups and downs. Lee Kang-in participated in the Hangzhou Asian Games last year and received military service benefits while winning a gold medal.
Afterwards, he was reborn as Korea’s new ace and established himself as a key player. However, Lee Kang-in received a lot of criticism after it was revealed that he collided with Son Heung-min (Tottenham) during the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, where he was eliminated in the semifinals last February.
Fortunately, the controversy ended when Lee Kang-in visited Son Heung-min in person and apologized to other colleagues. Afterwards, Lee Kang-in again teamed up with his national team colleagues and contributed greatly to Korea’s victory in pot 1 of the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup. Lee Kang-in led Korea to victory by scoring the winning goal in both matches against Singapore and China in June. 스포츠토토
