Lee Kang-in rises to 'No. 1 overall in the entire World Cup,' with his passing grade receiving 'overwhelming praise'... Lee Ki-hyuk and Seol Young-woo also make the 'top 40'

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Kang-in (25, Paris Saint-Germain), the ace of the South Korean national football team, has begun to shine with his passing ability at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

On the 17th (Korean time), Lee Kang-in scored 86.0 points in the group stage passing grades released by sports data analysis firm Gradient Sports, securing the No. 1 spot overall.

This is an overwhelming score compared to Germany's Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich) in second place with 83.4 points, the United States' Tim Ream (Charlotte FC) in third with 83.0 points, and the scores of players ranked 4th to 10th, which ranged between 80 and 81 points.

Moreover, while Tah and Ream are center-backs who are relatively more likely to have favorable passing metrics, Lee Kang-in's achievement of ranking first overall while playing as an attacker carries even greater significance.

In fact, among the top 10 in passing grades, five were center-backs, three were full-backs, and only two were wingers: Turkey's Arda Güler (Real Madrid, ranked 5th) and Lee Kang-in.

The media assigned scores by breaking down overall passing success rate, passing under pressure, chance creation, assists, and passes into dangerous areas.

In the group stage match against the Czech Republic on the 12th, Lee Kang-in recorded one assist and achieved three key passes. Notably, his passing success rate was an impressive 100%.

Thanks to such performances, Lee Kang-in received a score of 86.5 for passing under pressure, 85.9 for one-touch passes, and 90.1 for left-footed passes. In particular, his scores for passing under pressure and one-touch passes ranked first overall.

In addition to Lee Kang-in, two other South Korean players were among the top 40.

Center-back Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC), who made his World Cup debut in the match against the Czech Republic, scored 76.7 points and ranked 27th overall, while wing-back Seol Young-woo (Crvena Zvezda) scored 74.4 points and ranked 39th.

Lee Kang-in, who played the full 90 minutes as a starter in the match against the Czech Republic and played a key role in South Korea's offense, is preparing to face Mexico in the group stage's second match on the 19th at 10 a.m. at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico.

Not only is Lee Kang-in ranked No. 1 overall in passing grades, but he is also showing a presence that is virtually 'indispensable' as the player who orchestrates the game through dribbling and passing, making his starting lineup appearance against Mexico a foregone conclusion.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.