"Lee Kang-in made a dazzling debut at the ATM; if he had scored, the stadium would have erupted" — immense popularity that even Spain was surprised by

*This content was translated by AI.

Korean national team ace Lee Kang-in made his debut for Atlético Madrid (Spain) amid roaring cheers from Korean fans. Local Spanish media stated, "If he had scored, the stadium would have erupted," highlighting his immense popularity.

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported on the 10th (Korea time), "Lee Kang-in made a dazzling debut in his home country."

On the 9th, Atlético played a friendly match against Manchester City (England) at Seoul World Cup Stadium as part of the 2026 Coupang Play Series and lost 1-3. They took an early lead through Jorge Domínguez's goal but conceded consecutive goals to Omar Marmoush, falling behind. In the late second half, they also conceded a decisive goal from Rayan Aït-Nouri.

Today's match marked Lee Kang-in's debut for Atlético. Having played for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG·France) until last season, Lee Kang-in announced his fresh start by donning the Atlético jersey this summer.

Starting on the bench, Lee Kang-in was substituted in during the 19th minute of the second half and played for approximately 25 minutes. He recorded two shots, a 91% pass completion rate, one successful dribble breakthrough, and connected perfectly on both long-pass attempts while contributing defensively with two tackles.

As soon as Lee Kang-in appeared, over 50,000 Korean football fans erupted in tremendous cheers. Mundo Deportivo stated, "Newcomer Lee Kang-in of Atlético received star treatment during his debut in Korea. His debut venue was South Korea, a place as familiar as home to him. Lee Kang-in is a true star of Korea. His immense popularity was so evident that even his teammates could feel it before the match. Anyone who watched the game on TV or attended the stadium would have known this fact."

Even before the match began, broadcast cameras focused intensely on Lee Kang-in. The media explained, "Lee Kang-in was repeatedly shown on broadcast screens sitting beside team manager Thomas Renno and other substitute players. His reactions became one of the key scenes repeatedly highlighted by the broadcasting crew. Even when he was substituted in, joining nine teammates on the field, the camera captured only Lee Kang-in."

In fact, Atlético deployed several world-class players alongside Lee Kang-in, including José Giménez, Johnny Cardoso, and Thomas Lemar. However, the player who drew the most attention was undoubtedly Lee Kang-in.

Mundo Deportivo described the atmosphere at the time: "The moment Lee Kang-in stepped onto the field, chants of his name echoed throughout the stadium. The stands turned into a cauldron of excitement. Fans could be heard getting excited every time Lee Kang-in touched the ball."

Lee Kang-in responded to fans' expectations with an aggressive attacking approach. Immediately after being substituted in, he directly targeted the goal with his specialty, a free kick, and later connected a cross from teammate Arnau Solà with a non-stop shot.

Neither of the two attempts resulted in a goal, leading to sighs from the stands, but fans quickly cheered Lee Kang-in with enthusiastic applause.

Mundo Deportivo reported, "If Lee Kang-in had scored, the excitement would have reached its peak. Immediately after being substituted in, he aimed for a goal with a free kick and then connected Solà's cross with a shot, coming close to scoring again. The stadium nearly erupted."

The media praised, "As seen on the field, new Atlético player Lee Kang-in is a popular star who enjoys immense popularity in his home country."

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

*This content was translated by AI.