*This content was translated by AI.
Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, Lee Kang-in (25, Paris Saint-Germain) has secured the No. 1 spot in the Star Ranking Star Sports men's category for 11 consecutive weeks.
In the 48th Star Ranking Star Sports men's vote, tallied from 3:01 p.m. on the 21st to 3:00 p.m. on the 28th, Lee Kang-in received 14,757 votes, maintaining the top position for the 11th week.
After first reaching No. 1 in the 38th vote, Lee Kang-in has consistently held the top spot in the Star Ranking Star Sports men's category.
Following Lee Kang-in, Kim Do-young (23, KIA Tigers) took second place with 10,082 votes, and Heo Woong (33, Busan KCC) secured third place with 4,202 votes.
Son Heung-min (34, LAFC), captain of the South Korean national football team, ranked fourth with 1,275 votes, while Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants) ranked fifth with 1,207 votes. There were no changes in rankings compared to Jeonju.
The Star Ranking is determined by fans voting directly for their favorite stars via the StarNews website. Selected stars receive various special benefits based on the voting results.
Starting from the 49th vote, Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas), Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland), and Lee Seung-woo (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), all footballers, along with Noh Si-hwan (Hanwha Eagles) and Koo Ja-cheol (Samsung Lions), have been added, expanding the candidate pool.
In addition to the five newly added candidates, the existing nominees include Lee Kang-in and Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan, Kim Min-jae, and Yang Min-hyuk (all footballers); Kim Do-young, Yang Hyeon-jong, Ryu Hyun-jin, Kim Ha-seong, Lee Jung-hoo, and Kim Hye-seong (all baseball players); Heo Woong and Heo Hoon (both basketball players); Heo Su-bong (volleyball); and Woo Sang-hyuk (track and field). With the five new additions, the total number of candidates is now 20.
The 49th Star Ranking men's sports vote will run from 3:01 p.m. on the 28th until 3:00 p.m. next month.
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*This content was translated by AI.
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