_(cropped).jpg) Lee in 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lee Kang-in[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (2001-02-19)19 February 2001 (age 24)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Incheon, South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Paris Saint-Germain | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009[2] | Incheon United | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011[3] | Flyings FC | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2017 | Valencia | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Valencia B | 26 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2021 | Valencia | 44 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Mallorca | 66 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Paris Saint-Germain | 70 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | South Korea U20 | 16 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | South Korea U23 | 15 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019– | South Korea | 44 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13 February 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 November 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lee Kang-in | |
| Hangul | 이강인 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 李剛仁 |
| RR | I Gangin |
| MR | I Kangin |
| IPA | [i.ɡaŋ.in];[i][kaŋ.in] |
Lee Kang-in (Korean: 이강인; born 19 February 2001) is a South Korean professionalfootballer who plays as anattacking midfielder orwinger forLigue 1 clubParis Saint-Germain and theSouth Korea national team.
A product ofValencia's youth academy, Lee made his professional debut for Valencia at the age of 17 in 2018, becoming the youngest South Korean footballer to debut professionally in Europe. In his debut season, he won theCopa del Rey, before making hisUEFA Champions League debut in his second professional season. Lee joinedMallorca in 2021, where he established himself as one of Europe's top dribblers, before leaving Spain for French club Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
In 2019, Lee won theAsian Young Footballer of the Year, the same year that he won the2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup'sGolden Ball award. Lee's team finished runner-up during the event. He later made his senior debut for South Korea in September 2019, representing his nation's squad for the2022 FIFA World Cup and2023 AFC Asian Cup.
Lee joinedValencia's academy in July 2011. On 15 December 2017, he was called up toValencia B (Mestalla). He had his debut on 21 December 2017, in a match withDeportivo Aragón, being substituted in the 82nd minute.[citation needed]
Lee made his first team debut on 30 October 2018, starting and playing 83 minutes in a 2–1 win overEbro in theCopa del Rey, becoming the youngest South Korean footballer to debut professionally in Europe.[4]
Lee made hisLa Liga debut on 12 January 2019, substituting in forDenis Cheryshev in the 86th minute in a 1–1 draw withReal Valladolid during2018–19 season. At 17 years, 10 months, and 24 days, Lee became the second youngest player in the 18–19 La Liga afterAnder Barrenetxea fromReal Sociedad who debuted at the age of 16 years, 11 months, and 24 days. He also became the youngest ever non-Spanish and the first Asian league debutant for Valencia, as well as the fifth Korean to play in La Liga.[note 1][5]
On 30 January 2019, Lee officially joined the Valencia first-team, receiving jersey number 16.[6]
On 17 September 2019, Lee made hisUEFA Champions League debut as a late substitute forRodrigo in a 1–0 win againstChelsea, becoming the youngest ever Korean to debut in the competition at the age of 18 years and 6 months, a record previously held byJeong Woo-yeong. He also became the 5th youngest ever to debut forLos Ches in the same competition.[7] On 25 September 2019, he scored his first La Liga goal in a 3–3 draw againstGetafe, to become the youngest non-Spanish to score for Valencia, aged 18 years and 219 days old, breaking the previous record ofMohamed Sissoko who scored in the2003–04 UEFA Cup; and the third youngest ever, only behindJuan Mena andFernando Gómez.[8][note 2] His record as the youngest non-Spanish goalscorer for Valencia was broken the following season byAmerican teammateYunus Musah.[10]
On 13 September 2020, Lee became the youngest player, aged 19 years and 207 days, to assist two goals in a La Liga match in the 21st century, in a 4–2 win overLevante, breaking the previous record ofJuan Mata in 2008, aged 20 years and 150 days.[11] Despite rejecting several renewal offers from the club throughout the year,[12] he featured regularly underJavi Gracia as theChe endedthe campaign on a mid-table position.
After being on the transfer list during the entire pre-season, Lee terminated his contract with Valencia on 29 August 2021.[13]
On 30 August 2021, fellow La Liga clubMallorca confirmed the free transfer of Lee, signing on a four-year contract.[14]
During the 2022–23 season, Lee became one of the best dribblers in theBig Five European leagues by making the highest success rate of dribbles and the sixth highest number of successful dribbles.[15][16]
.jpg)
On 8 July 2023,Ligue 1 clubParis Saint-Germain announced the signing of Lee on a 5-year contract running through 2028, becoming the first ever South Korean to play for the club.[17] A transfer fee of €22 million was paid out to Mallorca after Lee passed his medical at the start of June.[18] Lee made his Ligue 1 debut in a 0–0 draw againstLorient at theParc des Princes on 12 August.[19] On 25 October, Lee scored his first PSG goal, his first ever in the Champions League, in a 3–0 victory overAC Milan.[20] On 3 November, he scored his first goal in Ligue 1 in a 3–0 win overMontpellier.[21] On 3 January 2024, he was named man of the match, after he scored the opening goal in the2023 Trophée des Champions final againstToulouse in a 2–0 victory, winning his first title with the club.[22] As PSG won theDouble of the Ligue 1 and theCoupe de France in the2023–24 season,[23] he became the first Asian player to win the Ligue 1.[24][note 3]
In the2024–25 season, Lee became the second Asian ever to receive a UEFA Champions League medal, following compatriotPark Ji-sung,[25] but his playing time during the second half of the season decreased sharply due toKhvicha Kvaratskhelia's arrival andDésiré Doué's growth.[26] He considered his transfer in the summer despite winning acontinental treble,[27] whereas the club was less willing to sell him actively.[28] On 15 June 2025, he came on as a 72nd-minute substitute and scored his firstFIFA Club World Cup goal on a penalty kick in a 4–0 win overAtlético Madrid.[29] In the2025 UEFA Super Cup on 13 August, he was put into the field in the 67th minute whenTottenham Hotspur held a 2–0 lead. He scored PSG's first goal, which underlay a 2–2 tie, and their third penalty goal in a 4–3 penalty shoot-out win.[30]
Lee was selected to play for theSouth Korea U-20 football team in the2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup and played in every group and knockout match, leading his team to a historic runner-up finish in the tournament and scoring two goals and four assists in seven games.[31] As a result, he received the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player.[32]
Lee received his first call up to the seniorSouth Korea national football team in March 2019 for friendlies againstBolivia andColombia, and became the 7th youngest to be in the South Korean national team. On 5 September 2019, Lee made his international debut in a 2–2 draw friendly match againstGeorgia as astarter.[33]
Lee was called up for friendlies in September 2022 just before the2022 FIFA World Cup by showing his evolution on both side of the ball in La Liga. He only participated in team training without appearances in the friendlies,[34] but was selected for the 26-men World Cup team.[35] He assistedCho Gue-sung's header with an accurate cross in the second group match againstGhana.[36]
Lee was exempted frommandatory military service after winning the2022 Asian Games in October 2023.[37] In a senior friendly againstTunisia just after the Asian Games, he led South Korea to a 4–0 victory by scoring two goals including a free-kick goal, which were his first and second goals for senior national team respectively.[38]
Lee was called up the South Korean squad for the2023 AFC Asian Cup.[39] He led South Korea to the knockout stage by scoring two goals in a 3–1 victory overBahrain and having a free-kick goal and an assist from a corner in a 3–3 draw withMalaysia.[40][41] He created the highest number of key passes and successful crosses until the quarter-finals.[42] After South Korea was eliminated in the semi-finals byJordan,[43] however, it was reported that he had been in conflict with veteran players in the national team including captainSon Heung-min before the defeat.[44]
In 2007, the six-year-old Lee was featured in the third season of theKBS N Sports reality football showFly Shoot Dori.[45] After his exceptional performance, he passed throughYoo Sang-chul's youth academy and in 2009 joined theIncheon United U-12 youth team. He later attended Seokjeong Elementary School inIncheon and played for Flyings FC.[46] In January 2011, he went toSpain under the recommendation of his youth team coach and took part in trials for the youth teams of Spanish clubsVillarreal andValencia.[47]
Lee was born on 19 February 2001 inIncheon, the youngest of three children. His father Lee Woon-seong was a taekwondo instructor in Incheon and a big football fan (especially ofDiego Maradona).[48]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Valencia B | 2017–18 | Segunda División B | 11 | 1 | — | — | — | 11 | 1 | |||
| 2018–19 | Segunda División B | 15 | 3 | — | — | — | 15 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 26 | 4 | — | — | — | 26 | 4 | |||||
| Valencia | 2018–19 | La Liga | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5[c] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 24 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 27 | 1 | |||
| Total | 44 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 3 | ||
| Mallorca | 2021–22 | La Liga | 30 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 1 | ||
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 36 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 6 | |||
| Total | 66 | 7 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 73 | 7 | ||||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2023–24 | Ligue 1 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9[c] | 1 | 1[d] | 1 | 36 | 5 |
| 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 30 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 11[c] | 0 | 5[e] | 1 | 49 | 7 | |
| 2025–26 | Ligue 1 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5[c] | 0 | 2[f] | 1 | 24 | 3 | |
| Total | 70 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 109 | 15 | ||
| Career total | 206 | 24 | 24 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 270 | 29 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | |||
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2024 | 17 | 6 | |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | |
| Total | 44 | 11 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 October 2023 | Seoul World Cup Stadium,Seoul, South Korea | 15 |  Tunisia | 1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 3 | 17 October 2023 | Suwon World Cup Stadium,Suwon, South Korea | 16 |  Vietnam | 5–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 16 November 2023 | Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea | 17 |  Singapore | 5–0 | 5–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 15 January 2024 | Jassim bin Hamad Stadium,Al Rayyan, Qatar | 20 |  Bahrain | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup |
| 6 | 3–1 | ||||||
| 7 | 25 January 2024 | Al Janoub Stadium,Al Wakrah, Qatar | 22 |  Malaysia | 2–2 | 3–3 | 2023 AFC Asian Cup |
| 8 | 6 June 2024 | National Stadium,Kallang, Singapore | 28 | Singapore | 1–0 | 7–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 4–0 | ||||||
| 10 | 11 June 2024 | Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea | 29 |  China | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 10 June 2025 | Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea | 38 |  Kuwait | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Valencia
Paris Saint-Germain
South Korea U20
South Korea U23
Individual
Awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
