'Son Heung-min beat him by 2.2 points' Lee Kang-in became the first KFA 'Player of the Year'... "I'll show better performance at the World Cup". Promise

*This content was translated by AI.

The best Korean soccer player last year was Lee Kang-in (25, PSG).

At the 2025 Korea Football Association (KFA) Awards held at Cheonan Korea Football Park on the 24th, Lee Kang-in was named the winner of the men's player of the year category.

This year's player is selected by adding up 50% of the press group's vote score and 50% of the association's experts (power enhancement committee, technology development committee, and full-time women's soccer leaders). Lee Kang-in scored 31.4 points in total, beating Son Heung-min (29.2 points), the previous year's winner and the most seven-time winner ever. Lee Jae-sung (12.9 points) is in third place.

It is the first time that Lee Kang-in, who has been reborn as the ace of Korean soccer after Son Heung-min (LAFC), has received the award since 2010.

Lee Kang-in lifted the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League trophy as a member of France's PSG last year. It was the first time in 17 years that a Korean has won the championship in the most prestigious European professional football competition since Park Ji-sung, who was a member of Manchester United (England) in 2008.

Thanks to Lee Kang-in's performance, PSG also won the League 1 and the French Cup in the 2024-2025 season, achieving a "treble" (three gold medals).

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which recognized this performance award, selected Lee Kang-in as the "International Player of the Year" in October last year.

In his acceptance speech delivered by video, Lee Kang-in said, "I would like to thank the (national team) team members who played their best together, the staff who help outside, and the soccer fans who support me in any situation." "2025 was a very meaningful year for me. I think 2026 will be a more meaningful year because of the World Cup. I will do my best to show better performance in the World Cup," he said.

Jang Seul-ki (18.4 points) was selected as the women's player of the year. Jang Seul-ki won the award for the second time after 2018.

Jang Seul-ki was highly praised for contributing to the women's national team's first E-1 championship in 20 years and receiving the MVP award.

Ji So-yeon (Suwon FC, 15 points), the most winner of all time, came in second place, and Jeong Ji-yeon (Hwacheon KSPO, 12.5 points) came in third.

Kang Sang-yoon, who contributed to Jeonbuk Hyundai's "double" (two gold medals) last season and also played in the national team, received the men's category of the Young Player of the Year Award, and Kim Min-ji of Seoul City Hall received the women's category.

Lee Jung-hyo, head coach of Suwon Samsung, won the men's leadership category of this year's professional soccer K League 2 (division 2). Coach Lee demonstrated his competence by leading citizen club Gwangju FC to the elite quarterfinals of the 2024-2025 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League last year. After placing Gwangju in seventh place in the K League 1, he took the helm of Suwon, a "falling master" after the season, ahead of his second challenge.

This year's leadership women's category was won by Hwacheon KSPO coach Kang Sun-mi, who achieved the treble (three gold medals) by winning the WK League integrated following the National Women's Football Championship and the National Sports Festival.

This year's referee award was won by male referee Kim Dae-yong, female referee Oh Hyun-jung, male assistant referee Bang Ki-yeol, and female referee Jung Eun-joo.

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*This content was translated by AI.