_26.jpg) Kim warming up forBayern Munich in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kim Min-jae[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1996-11-15)15 November 1996 (age 29)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Tongyeong, South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Bayern Munich | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yeoncho Middle School | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Suwon Technical High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Yonsei University [ko] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Gyeongju KHNP | 17 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 52 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Beijing Guoan | 45 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Fenerbahçe | 31 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Napoli | 35 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Bayern Munich | 66 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | South Korea U20 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | South Korea U23 | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017– | South Korea | 75 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:29, 14 February 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 November 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kim Min-jae | |
| Hangul | 김민재 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 金玟哉 |
| RR | Gim Minjae |
| MR | Kim Minjae |
| IPA | [kim.min.dʑɛ] |
Kim Min-jae (Korean: 김민재; born 15 November 1996) is a South Korean professionalfootballer who plays as acentre-back forBundesliga clubBayern Munich and theSouth Korea national team.
After starting out at semi-professional clubGyeongju KHNP for half a year, Kim went on to play forJeonbuk Hyundai Motors, where he won twoK League 1 titles for two years before transferring toBeijing Guoan in 2019. After two-and-half years at theChinese Super League, he joinedSüper Lig sideFenerbahçe in 2021, andSerie A sideNapoli in 2022. He was considered one of the best defenders in the world, when helping Napoli win a Serie A title in the 2022–23 season.[2][3] Then, in July 2023, he moved to Bayern Munich for €50 million, making him themost expensive Asian player of all time.[4]
Kim is a South Korean international, having progressed from under-20 onwards. He represented the national team at the2022 FIFA World Cup and two editions of theAFC Asian Cup.
Kim was born inTongyeong.[5] Both of his parents are formerathletes and his brother was also afootballer who played as agoalkeeper forMyongji University [ko].[6][7]
Kim embarked on his youth football career with the football club of Tongyeong Elementary School.[8] He later transferred to Gaya Elementary School inHaman and graduated from there. He entered Yeoncho Middle School andSuwon Technical High School [ko] which has produced many international footballers such asPark Ji-sung.[9]
After he graduated from high school in 2015, he went on toYonsei University [ko]. In July 2016, when he was in his second year, he dropped out of school to fulfill his dream of making his professional debut, although the school tried to dissuade him.[10]
Kim joined semi-professional clubGyeongju KHNP on 1 July 2016, and participated in theKorea National League from the middle of the2016 season.[11] Kim played 15 matches for KHNP until the end of the regular season, leading his team to the play-offs.[12] On 2 November, Kim played the quarter-final game of the play-offs for 78 minutes, contributing to a 2–0 victory overChangwon City.[13] On 5 November, KHNP drew 1–1 withHyundai Mipo Dockyard in the semi-final, but were not able to advance to the final due to a lower rank in the regular season standings.[14]
On 22 December 2016, Kim joinedK League clubJeonbuk Hyundai Motors on a free transfer.[15] Jeonbuk managerChoi Kang-hee expressed his expectancy about him during the pre-season training camps inDubai,[16] and used him as a key player from the beginning.[17]
Kim made his debut goal for his career in a K League 1 match againstDaegu FC on 25 June 2017.[18] He scored his second goal for Jeonbuk againstGwangju FC with a mid-range volley on 19 August.[19] He was ousted from the game againstSangju Sangmu for warnings accumulated on 20 September.[20] On 15 October, it turned out that Kim suffered a semilunar valve injury and for this reason Kim had to have surgery in Japan, being unable to play remaining games of the season.[21] With his performance, he was named theK League Young Player of the Year and nominated for a part of theK League Best XI, although he was shown nine yellow cards and one red card during 29 appearances.[22][23]
Kim made his firstAFC Champions League debut in a 3–2 victory overKashiwa Reysol on 13 February 2018.[24] Kim scored his first goal of the2018 season with a header as well as showing strong defense in a K League 1 match againstFC Seoul on 18 March, and was named the MVP of the week.[25] Afterwards, he led Jeonbuk's defense to six consecutive clean sheets.[26] Unfortunately, however, Kim suffered from afibula injury in a match againstDaegu FC on 2 May, absenting himself from the2018 FIFA World Cup.[27]
On 29 January 2019, Kim transferred toBeijing Sinobo Guoan.[28] With his impressive defensive performance, Kim went on to play an integral role in Beijing's runner-up finish in the2019 CSL Season.
In May 2020, Kim engendered controversy by expressing dissatisfaction about Beijing teammates' method of play in aYouTube channel, which was being operated by a South Korean football commentator, after his wedding in South Korea.[29] At a similar time, he received intensive attention from a wide range of European clubs,[30][31] andTottenham Hotspur managerJosé Mourinho tried to recruit him. However, Tottenham didn't want to pay more than €5 million for Kim, and it failed to negotiate with Beijing, which demanded €10 million.[32]
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Kim transferred toFenerbahçe on 16 August 2021 with a transfer fee of €3 million and signed a 4-year contract.[33]
Kim won the most number of unclaimed balls and won the most tackles among Fenerbahçe defenders in his first match for Fenerbahçe againstAntalyaspor on 22 August.[34] He made hisEuropean debut in theUEFA Europa League Group D match againstEintracht Frankfurt on 16 September. Two days after receiving his first red card in theSüper Lig againstTrabzonspor on 17 October,[35] Kim said "This was a first for me in my five-year career playing football at the highest level, I guess we have to have such experiences in Turkey."[36] Kim led Fenerbahçe to a 2–1 victory by making the most passes and blocks inthe Intercontinental Derby on 21 November,[37] and was selected as the man of the match by Fenerbahçe fans with 76.3 percent of the votes.[38] Kim scored his first goal for Fenerbahçe againstKonyaspor on 20 March 2022. At the end of the2021–22 season,International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES),FIFA 22 andOpta Sports selected Kim for the Süper Lig Team of the Season.[39][40][41]
On 27 July 2022, Kim signed forSerie A clubNapoli[42] for a reported fee of €18 million,[43] as a replacement forKalidou Koulibaly, who departed to joinChelsea. On 21 August, he scored his first goal for Napoli from a header in stoppage time during a 4–0 victory overMonza.[44]
In his second month in Italy, he was named Serie A Player of the Month for September 2022.[45] During a season at Napoli, Kim was an integral part of Napoli's victory to its third Serie A title in the2022–23 season, the first one in nearly three decades,[46] being named theSerie A Best Defender of the season.[47] He was also evaluated as the best defender in Europe during the season, earning the most votes among defenders fromEuropean Sports Media andBallon d'Or voting.[3][48]
On 18 July 2023,Bundesliga clubBayern Munich announced that they had signed Kim on a deal until 30 June 2028.[49] Bayern reportedly triggered a release clause in Kim's Napoli contract by paying €50 million (€58 million according toLa Gazzetta dello Sport),[4][50][51] and so Kim became themost expensive Asian footballer in history by surpassingShoya Nakajima's transfer fee of €35 million.[52][53] He is the second South Korean player to sign with the club, the first beingJeong Woo-yeong.[54]
Kim scored his first goal for Bayern with a header as well as keeping a clean sheet in a 3–0 victory overVfB Stuttgart on 17 December.[55] In the first half of the 2023–24 season, he was selected for Bundesliga's Best XI by fans,[56] butmagazinekicker criticised his inconsistent performance including his mistakes against1. FC Saarbrücken, which eliminated Bayern from theDFB-Pokal.[57] During the second half of the season, he frequently allowed the space behind him due to his inaccurate decisions,[58] and managerThomas Tuchel preferredEric Dier andMatthijs de Ligt after pointing out that he did not follow the promised tactics.[59] Tuchel criticised him openly once again after theUEFA Champions League semi-final first leg againstReal Madrid,[60] where he played instead of De Ligt.[61]
Early in the 2024–25 season, after the dismissal of Tuchel and the departure of De Ligt, Bayern's new managerVincent Kompany chose Kim andDayot Upamecano in the starting line-up. During the first game of the2024–25 Bundesliga, Kim's tactical error led to aVfL Wolfsburg goal.[62][63] After a rough start, he contributed to the club's seven consecutive clean sheets alongside Upamecano andManuel Neuer between October and November 2024.[64] On 26 November, Kim scored his firstChampions League goal and was named Player of the Match in a 1–0 win overParis Saint-Germain.[65] But he was once again criticised by media for his instability during the following games of the season.[66] Shortly after, it was revealed Kim was on painkillers after getting anAchilles tendinitis in a match againstEintracht Frankfurt in October 2024,[67][68] and his request for rest in February 2025 was denied due to his teammates' successive injuries.[69][70] Kim's injury turned into acyst, as he continued to play throughout the season in order to help the club reclaim the Bundesliga title, while the team conceded the fewest goals of the tournament.[71][72] During theChampions League quarter-finals againstInter Milan, in which Bayern was eliminated, Kim's errors in aerial duels caused further controversies among supporters,[73] even though some of them knew he was playing under the unsolved injury.[74][75][76][77] By the end of the season, Kim was included in the team's travel to the2025 FIFA Club World Cup in theUnited States despite his injury.[78][79] Kim ultimately did not play during the Club World Cup, as Bayern signedJonathan Tah before the tournament.[80][81]
During the2025–26 season, following the arrival of Tah, Kim was mostly used as a back-up player.[82] In the Bundesliga opener againstRB Leipzig on 22 August 2025, which ended in a 6–0 win, 68th-minute substitute Kim intercepted the ball behind the half-way line, dribbled to the opponents' penalty area, and provided an assist followed byHarry Kane's hat-trick.[83] On 25 October, he played instead of Tah in a 3–0 win overBorussia Mönchengladbach, recording his first clean sheet of the season.[84] On 1 November, he played instead of Upamecano in a 3–0 win overBayer Leverkusen, keeping the second consecutive Bundesliga clean sheet.[85] On 21 January 2026, he received two yellow cards in a 2–0 Champions League win overUnion Saint-Gilloise, being sent off for the first time since joining Bayern in 2023.[86]
On 14 August 2017, Kim was named inSouth Korea's squad for the last twoqualifiers for the 2018 World Cup againstIran andUzbekistan.[87] In said tournament against Iran on 31 August 2017, Kim debuted as a starter and sent off Iranian footballerSaeid Ezatolahi while showing great defense for 84 minutes.[88] On 5 September, Kim played as a full-time player againstUzbekistan,[89] helping South Korea keep one more clean sheet. After these matches, South Korea qualified for the ninth consecutiveFIFA World Cup.[90] However, he suffered an injury on 8 May 2018 and was unable to take part inthat year's World Cup.
On 1 September 2018, South Korea defeatedJapan 2–1 in the gold medal match of the2018 Asian Games. As a result of this victory, Kim and his teammates received an exemption from military service, reducing the two-year conscription to just a few weeks of basic training,[91] which he later served in the summer of 2023.[92]
Kim was named in the South Korea squad for the2022 FIFA World Cup.[93] He helped his team keep clean sheet in the first match againstUruguay, but he and his teammates conceded a total of seven goals in the matches againstGhana andBrazil.[94][95][96] During the third match againstPortugal, he was sidelined after an injury in his right calf from the first match.[97] South Korea was eliminated from the tournament after losing 4–1 to Brazil in the round of 16.
Kim played for the national team under managerJürgen Klinsmann at the2023 AFC Asian Cup. He helped his nation reach the semi-finals, but received his second yellow card of the tournament in the quarter-finals againstAustralia.[98] South Korea lost 2–0 toJordan in the semi-finals during his absence.[99]
As acentre-back, Kim has excellent physical attributes, notably his strength, speed, height, and flexibility. Kim has a strong predictive ability in defense, and can often start and finish plays when the team advances. His long pass accuracy enables him to immediately hit the ball after the steal to complete a quick counterattack, and his excellent aerial ability and positioning allows him to perform headers to break up opposition attacks and start offensive plays.[100]
Typically, Kim positions himself as the rearmost player in his team's defensive formation. This strategic placement affords him ample time to decide whether to hold his position or confront the opposition. Despite his tendency to stay back, Kim exhibits a proactive and aggressive approach in winning possession beyond his defensive line. His blend of speed and physical strength makes him highly effective in regaining control for his team.[101] At Bayern Munich, however, Kim has been criticised for struggling to adjust to playing in a higher defensive line.[102]
In January 2021, Kim was appointed as an ambassador for the Purme Foundation. He decided to contribute to the rehabilitation of children with disabilities and the independence of young people with disabilities, and donated₩50 million (€38,000 of January 2021).[103]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Gyeongju KHNP | 2016 | Korea National League | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[b] | 0 | 17 | 0 | |
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 2017 | K League 1 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 2 | ||
| 2018 | K League 1 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6[c] | 0 | — | 30 | 1 | ||
| Total | 52 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 60 | 3 | |||
| Beijing Guoan | 2019 | Chinese Super League | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6[c] | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | |
| 2020 | Chinese Super League | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6[c] | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2021 | Chinese Super League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 45 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | — | 59 | 0 | |||
| Fenerbahçe | 2021–22 | Süper Lig | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8[d] | 0 | — | 40 | 1 | |
| Napoli | 2022–23 | Serie A | 35 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9[e] | 0 | — | 45 | 2 | |
| Bayern Munich | 2023–24 | Bundesliga | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9[e] | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 36 | 1 |
| 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 27 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 13[e] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 3 | |
| 2025–26 | Bundesliga | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6[e] | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
| Total | 66 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 102 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 244 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 63 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 323 | 11 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | 2017 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 18 | 3 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 75 | 4 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 January 2019 | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium,Al Ain, United Arab Emirates |  Kyrgyzstan | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2019 AFC Asian Cup |
| 2 | 16 January 2019 | Al Nahyan Stadium,Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |  China | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2019 AFC Asian Cup |
| 3 | 15 December 2019 | Busan Asiad Main Stadium,Busan, South Korea | China | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2019 EAFF Championship |
| 4 | 17 October 2023 | Suwon World Cup Stadium,Suwon, South Korea |  Vietnam | 1–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Napoli
Bayern Munich
South Korea U23
South Korea
Individual
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