*This content was translated by AI.
Lee Kang-in (25, Paris Saint-Germain), who also competed in the 2026 North America–Central America–Caribbean World Cup, firmly held onto the top spot in the Star Sports men's category of the Star Ranking for 17 consecutive weeks amid intense transfer market speculation, including rumors of a move to Atletico Madrid (ATM). In this 54th voting round, Lee Seung-woo (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) surged forward with formidable momentum, while 'Kia's sacred player' Kim Do-young (23, KIA Tigers) suffered a shocking fall, triggering unprecedented upheaval in the rankings.
In the Star Sports men's 54th Star Ranking vote, held from 3:01 p.m. on the 2nd to 3:00 p.m. on the 9th, Lee Kang-in secured first place with a commanding 13,825 votes. This marks his 17th consecutive week at the top since first claiming the throne in the 38th vote. Despite recent uncertainties surrounding his future, including intense speculation about a move to ATM and the disappointment of being eliminated in the World Cup group stage, fans' trust in South Korea's undisputed ace remained unwavering.
The true protagonist of this voting round was Lee Seung-woo, who made a storming charge. Having joined as a new candidate in the 49th vote, Lee Seung-woo surged up an impressive 17 positions to secure third place with 2,746 votes. Showcasing his star power and skills on the K League stage, he saw fans' support coalesce effectively, propelling his ranking significantly higher.
In contrast, baseball prodigy Kim Do-young, who had closely trailed Lee Kang-in until last week, faced a fierce voting cold snap. Despite dominating the KBO League this season and maintaining an incredible home run pace, he managed only 1,920 votes this week, slipping three positions from second to fifth place. As the fervor of baseball fans briefly cooled, football stars were allowed to launch a fierce pursuit.
Meanwhile, the second-place spot was taken by Huh Woong (33) of professional basketball team Busan KCC. With 4,633 votes, Huh Woong rose one position from last week to rank second, upholding the dignity of the 'Basketball President' family. Son Heung-min (34, LAFC), South Korea's national football team's 'eternal captain,' maintained his fourth-place position unchanged with 2,603 votes.
The Star Ranking is a system where fans directly vote on the StarNews website to determine the rankings of their favorite stars. Selected stars based on voting results receive various special benefits.
Recently, the Star Ranking significantly expanded its candidate pool, fueling a battle of fan support. Starting from the 49th vote, five new candidates were added: Oh Hyun-kyu (Besiktas), Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland), and Lee Seung-woo (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) in football; Noh Si-hwan (Hanwha Eagles) and Koo Ja-cheol (Samsung Lions) in baseball.
As a result, the total number of stars competing fiercely has reached 20, including new candidates added to the existing pool: Lee Kang-in, Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan, Kim Min-jae, Yang Min-hyuk (all football); Kim Do-young, Yang Hyeon-jong, Ryu Hyun-jin, Kim Ha-seong, Lee Jung-hoo, Kim Hye-seong (all baseball); Huh Woong and Huh Hun (both basketball); Heo Su-bong (volleyball); and Woo Sang-hyuk (track and field).
The upcoming Star Ranking men's sports 55th vote will be held for one week, from 3:01 p.m. on the 9th to 3:00 p.m. on the 16th.
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*This content was translated by AI.
