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Beyond Son Heung-min's Throne: Lee Kang-in Named KFA 'Player of the Year' for the First Time After Champions League Title

PSG's Lee Kang-in has been selected as the male Player of the Year at the 2025 Korea Football Association (KFA) Awards for the first time in his career. After winning the UCL·Ligue 1·Coupe de France treble, he edged out all-time record winner Son Heung-min 31.4 to 29.2 points, officially declaring a generational shift in Korean football.

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Lee Kang-in (2022, KFA National Team Official Dinner)
Lee Kang-in (2022, KFA National Team Official Dinner)
Why this ranking matters right now: The first Korean player to win a Champions League medal since Park Ji-sung 17 years ago has now also beaten Son Heung-min for Korea's highest football honor. The generational shift has already begun.

TL;DR

  • Lee Kang-in (PSG, age 25) won the male Player of the Year at the 2025 KFA Awards — his first-ever win
  • Combined media + expert vote total of 31.4 points, edging out all-time record winner (7 times) Son Heung-min (LAFC, 29.2 points) by 2.2 points
  • Won the UCL·Ligue 1·Coupe de France treble with PSG in the 2024–25 season — the first Korean UCL winner since Park Ji-sung (2008), 17 years later
  • Following his AFC International Player of the Year award in October 2025, sweeping the year-end KFA Awards officially declares the 'Lee Kang-in era'
  • Solidifies his status as Korea's key playmaker ahead of the 2026 FIFA North & Central America World Cup

The Facts: What Happened

On February 24, 2026, at the Korea Football Park in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in was named the male Player of the Year at the 2025 Korea Football Association (KFA) Awards. This marks the first time Lee Kang-in has won the award since the ceremony began in 2010.

The selection process combines 50% media vote + 50% KFA expert vote (National Team Committee, Technical Development Committee, and women's football full-time coaches). Lee Kang-in scored a total of 31.4 points, beating runner-up Son Heung-min (29.2 points) and third-place Lee Jae-sung (Mainz, 12.9 points).

In the women's category, Jang Seul-gi (Gyeongju Hansu) won Player of the Year, Kang Sang-yun (Jeonbuk Hyundai) won the Young Player Award (men's), and manager Lee Jeong-hyo (Suwon Samsung) won Coach of the Year (men's).

Why It Went Viral: The Driving Factors

1. First-Ever Break of Son Heung-min's Dominance

Son Heung-min holds the record for the most wins at 7 times and is the symbol of Korean football. The mere fact that Lee Kang-in defeated him became a powerful news anchor. The symbolism goes beyond a simple generational shift — it represents the transfer of the 'Korean football ace' title, amplifying the buzz.

2. The Impact of PSG's 2024–25 Treble

Lee Kang-in played a key role as a central midfielder as PSG claimed the treble of UCL·Ligue 1·Coupe de France. The historical record of being the first Korean UCL winner since Park Ji-sung 17 years ago further justified the award.

3. Connection with the AFC Awards

With Lee Kang-in also having won AFC International Player of the Year in October 2025, sweeping the KFA Awards completed the narrative of '2025's Best Korean Player.'

4. World Cup Anticipation

In his acceptance speech, Lee Kang-in said, "I will show an even better version of myself at the 2026 North & Central America World Cup." Fan excitement ahead of the World Cup is translating directly into attention.

Context & Background: How Lee Kang-in Got Here

YearKey Event
2011Joined Valencia youth academy at age 10
2018Professional debut in Europe at 17 (Valencia) — youngest Korean to debut professionally in Europe
2019FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Ball, AFC U-20 Player of the Year
2022Gold medal at Hangzhou Asian Games confirmed military service exemption
2023Transfer to PSG (€22M) — first Korean player in PSG history
2024PSG Ligue 1 & Coupe de France double, Asian Cup Best XI
2025PSG Treble (UCL + Ligue 1 + Coupe de France), AFC International Player Award, KFA Player of the Year

During the 2024 AFC Asian Cup, public sentiment soured due to rumors of a rift with Son Heung-min, but his dominant performances at PSG since have completely put the controversy to rest.

Outlook: How Far Can He Go?

  • The 2026 North & Central America World Cup (June–July) is the biggest milestone ahead. Lee Kang-in's importance in the Korean national team is expected to grow further.
  • His contract with PSG runs until June 2028. Competition for playing time has intensified with the arrivals of Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué, but Lee Kang-in has continued to choose to stay.
  • A new narrative begins — challenging Son Heung-min's record of 7 KFA Awards wins.
  • Longevity forecast: Long-term — tied to World Cup anticipation, search interest in Lee Kang-in is expected to continue rising into the second half of 2026.

Risk Checklist

Injury risk: Packed PSG schedule + national team call-ups → physical management is key
Intensifying intra-squad competition: Further reduction in PSG playing time possible as Kvaratskhelia and Doué continue to grow
Over-expectation: Risk of backlash if he underperforms at the World Cup
Possibility of renewed conflict with Son Heung-min's generation: Heavy media scrutiny during national team call-ups

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