'Hong Myung-bo, watch this!' Final roster announced, then '7th goal' explosion in Portuguese league... Lee Hyun-ju's power display

*This content was translated by AI.

'I am also the future of South Korean football!'

Another 'top-tier prospect,' Lee Hyun-ju (23, FC Arouca), left a clear mark even in the league's final match.

Lee Hyun-ju's club, Arouca, secured a 3-1 home victory against Tondela in the final 34th round of the Portuguese Primeira Liga at the Arouca Municipal Stadium on the 17th (Korean time). With this result, Arouca finished the season in 8th place with 12 wins, 6 draws, and 16 losses (42 points).

On this day, Lee Hyun-ju, a South Korean attacking midfielder, was substituted in during the 18th minute of the second half and scored the decisive goal in the 40th minute while his team led 2-1. Receiving a pass from Dylan Nandin inside the penalty box, Lee Hyun-ju dribbled past one defender and calmly shot to find the back of the net. Arouca, now leading by two goals, comfortably closed out the match to secure the home win.

In addition, Lee Hyun-ju recorded 21 touches, 1 successful dribble, and 2 passes in the attacking area during his 27 minutes of playing time. Football statistics platform FootMob awarded Lee Hyun-ju a solid 7.4 rating.

With this goal, Lee Hyun-ju finished the season with 7 goals and 3 assists in 30 league matches.

A product of the Pohang Steelers youth system in K League 1, Lee Hyun-ju attracted significant attention after transferring to the German powerhouse Bayern Munich in 2022. However, he failed to secure a regular spot amid fierce competition and spent the 2023–2024 season on loan at 1. FC Heidenheim and the 2024–2025 season at Hannover 96 (both in Germany). Last summer, he chose to join Arouca instead of rejoining Munich.

According to Portuguese media record, Arouca paid 1.5 million euros (approximately 2.5 billion won) for Lee Hyun-ju, marking the club's highest transfer fee in history. Lee Hyun-ju responded to expectations from his first season with strong attacking contributions.

Earlier, in November 2024, Lee Hyun-ju was called up by Hong Myung-bo to the South Korean national team and made his long-awaited A-match debut against Kuwait. Unfortunately, he was unable to establish a strong connection with the Lee Hu (CEO) team.

Despite his outstanding performances for his club this season, Lee Hyun-ju ultimately failed to make the final 26-man roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. A look at the final roster announced by Hong Myung-bo the previous day (16th) reveals that other strong candidates in the second-line positions were selected, including Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic FC), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan HD), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City), and Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City).

While being excluded from the World Cup roster was disappointing, Lee Hyun-ju's season was not a failure. He laid a solid foundation for further growth with his club.

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*This content was translated by AI.