Lee Kang-in inherits his 'No. 7' jersey; 'ATM legend' Griezmann also extends a warm welcome... The club's symbolic red and white hearts are struck.

*This content was translated by AI.

Antoine Griezmann (Orlando City), a legend of Atlético Madrid, sent red and white hearts to Lee Kang-in, who has inherited his iconic No. 7 jersey.

Atlético Madrid officially announced the signing of Lee Kang-in via its club SNS on the 25th (Korea time). The contract runs until June 2031. According to local Spanish reports, the transfer fee is a base €35 million (approximately 58 billion won), with additional options included.

Lee Kang-in is Atlético's third signing this summer and also occupies one of the available quota spots for players from non-EU countries. This highlights how highly Atlético values Lee Kang-in as a key asset.

The club's expectations are further reflected in the jersey number. Lee Kang-in has been assigned No. 7, which symbolizes the team's ace. Until last season, that number was worn by world-class striker Griezmann.

Griezmann reacted immediately upon learning that Lee Kang-in had inherited his jersey number. When Atlético Madrid unveiled a jersey featuring Lee Kang-in's name and No. 7 on its SNS, he left one red heart emoji and one white heart emoji in the post.

Red and white are the club's symbolic colors and also the colors of Atlético's home kit.

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported: "Griezmann responded to the club's post announcing that Lee Kang-in would wear No. 7 at Atlético, leaving one red heart and one white heart."

The French striker Griezmann served as a flagship star for Atlético, leading the team's attack for many years and Koo Dan-eul (CEO).

Griezmann joined Atlético from Real Sociedad in 2014 and remained a key player until 2019. He later moved to Barcelona but returned to Atlético on loan in 2021. In 2022, he completed a permanent transfer and wore the Atlético jersey again through the 2025–2026 season. This summer, he moved to Orlando City of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States for a new challenge.

Griezmann made 501 official appearances for Atlético, scoring 212 goals—the most in the club's history. He also led Atlético to victories in the 2014 Spanish Super Cup, the 2017–2018 UEFA Europa League, and the 2018 UEFA Super Cup while wearing the club's colors.

Mundo Deportivo explained: "Lee Kang-in will wear No. 7 at Atlético, a number previously worn by Griezmann. The significance of No. 7 at Atlético is considerable. Especially since Griezmann wore this number and became the club's all-time top scorer, its symbolic value is even greater."

Now, the iconic No. 7 that Griezmann wore for so long has become Lee Kang-in's. The ace of South Korea's national football team, Lee Kang-in, began his professional career at Valencia in Spain, then moved to Mallorca before joining Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France in 2023.

During three seasons at PSG, Lee Kang-in made 124 official appearances, recording 16 goals and 16 assists. In Ligue 1, he scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists in 80 matches. During this period, he won the Ligue 1 title three times and reached the UEFA Champions League summit twice.

Lee Kang-in also participated in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. South Korea finished with one win and two losses, placing third in Group A and exiting in the group stage. However, Lee Kang-in delivered impressive performances and received high praise.

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*This content was translated by AI.