*This content was translated by AI.
Despite South Korea's national football team being eliminated from the group stage of the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, Lee Kang-in (25, Paris Saint-Germain) still holds a record ranking among the top overall players. This refers to the number of successful dribble breakthroughs achieved in competitive situations against opponents.
According to Squawka, a football statistics media outlet, which released data on the 8th (local time) regarding successful dribbles at the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, Lee Kang-in recorded 11 successful dribbles, tying for seventh place overall. This matches the performance of Portugal's Rafael Leão (AC Milan), Curaçao's Tjoe Kong (Sheffield United), and France's Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain/PSG).
Earlier, Lee Kang-in successfully completed five dribbles in the group stage opener against Czechia, four against Mexico in the second match, and two against South Africa in the third. His overall success rate for the tournament reached 78.7%. However, under manager Hong Myung-bo, South Korea was eliminated from the group stage after just three matches before returning home. Lee Kang-in's record also stopped at 11 successful dribbles.
Even though many players who played one or two additional matches beyond the group stage to reach the Round of 32 and Round of 16 have since been eliminated, Lee Kang-in's total of 11 successful dribbles still places him within the World Cup Top 10. This highlights his performance and class during this tournament.
The player currently tied for first place alongside Lee Kang-in at seventh overall is Spain's Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), who achieved an impressive 17 successful dribbles in this tournament alone. Brazil's Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) and Germany's Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich) followed with 16 and 15 successful dribbles, respectively.
Meanwhile, Lee Kang-in, currently resting in South Korea, is expected to soon finalize his transfer to Atlético Madrid (ATM). Local media outlets and transfer market experts alike have already treated the move as a done deal. The transfer fee is estimated at up to €40 million (approximately 68.7 billion won).
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*This content was translated by AI.
