'Star Award' Son Jeong-beom to face 'EPL's strongest' Manchester City... Voted #1 in Coupang Play Fan Poll

*This content was translated by AI.

Son Jeong-beom (19, FC Seoul), who announced the birth of a major talent by winning the Star Award at the 2024 Futures Star Awards, will face the prestigious English Premier League (EPL) club Manchester City.

The Korea Professional Football League announced that Team K-League, composed of players representing the K League, will face Manchester City in the first match of the 2026 Coupang Play Series on August 5 at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Son Jeong-beom, who received overwhelming support from fans to be selected as a Coupang Play Young Player, will face the top stars of the K League and a prestigious EPL club.

Coupang Play Young Players were selected through fan voting conducted via Coupang Play from July 1 to 10 among 12 promising players under the age of 22 (U-22) recommended by all K League 1 clubs.

According to the league's announcement on the 13th, Son Jeong-beom secured first place among all candidates with an overwhelming vote share of 32.7%. He comfortably surpassed second-place Jo Sang-hyuk (Pohang Steelers, 12.9%) and third-place Kim Ju-chan (Kim Cheon (SVP), 12.3%).

Son Jeong-beom is a core youth player of FC Seoul who progressed through Seoul U15 (Osan Middle School) and U18 (Osan High School) before being officially called up to the professional team in 2025. Upon appearing on the K League 1 stage in his professional debut season, the 2026 campaign, he left a strong impression. Leveraging precise passing skills and intelligent off-the-ball ability, he secured a starting position from the opening match and scored his professional debut goal in Round 5 against Gwangju. Demonstrating mature game management beyond that of a rookie, he has been playing a key role as FC Seoul's core midfielder this season, appearing in 14 matches with one goal and two assists.

Having won the Star Award at the Futures Star Awards, which honors the top amateur prospect of the previous year, Son Jeong-beom was immediately recognized as a rising star of the K League upon his professional debut. Through this match against Manchester City, he has seized the opportunity to prove his value to the world. He is expected to showcase the talent of a K League ace prospect against a prestigious club featuring world-class midfielders.

The full squad roster for Team K-League, led by Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors head coach Jung Jeong-yong and Gangwon FC head coach Jung Kyung-ho (Coupang Play match coach), is scheduled to be finalized in July following consultations with the league's Technical Steering Group (TSG). The highly anticipated match against Manchester City will kick off on Wednesday, August 5, at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

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*This content was translated by AI.