Korea’s Lee Kang-in smiles during a celebration marking the Korean national team’s qualification for its 11th consecutive FIFA World Cup finals after defeating Kuwait in the final match of the Asian third-round qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, June 10, 2025. Yonhap
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Lee Kang-in has been named Korean football's top male player for 2025.
The Korea Football Association (KFA) on Tuesday announced Lee as the winner of its annual Male Player of the Year award at the KFA Awards ceremony at Korea Football Park in Cheonan, some 90 kilometers south of Seoul.
The KFA began recognizing top individual players in 2010, and this is Lee's first honor. The winner was determined by votes from the media and KFA officials.
During the 2024-25 season, Lee was part of PSG's European treble, as they won the French league title, the domestic cup title and the prestigious UEFA Champions League trophy.
Lee continued to thrive for the national team as the top playmaker for the Taegeuk Warriors.
In a video message played during the ceremony, Lee thanked his Korean teammates and national team staff for their help along the way.
"The year 2025 was a meaningful one for me, and 2026 will be even more so with the FIFA World Cup coming up," Lee said. "I will do my best to put on strong performances at the World Cup."
According to the KFA, Lee earned 31.4 voting points to hold off Los Angeles Football Club star Son Heung-min by 2.2 points. Son has won this award seven times, more than any other player.
The Female Player of the Year Award went to national team mainstay Jang Selgi, who collected 18.4 points. Now a three-time winner, Jang helped Korea win the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship in 2025 — the country's first title in 20 years — and was voted the MVP of that regional tournament.
Among other honorees, Suwon Samsung Bluewings head coach Lee Jung-hyo was named the Male Coach of the Year for his work with his former K League club, Gwangju FC.
Lee was recognized for taking perennially underfunded Gwangju to the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Elite tournament. Lee took Suwon Samsung's reign in December 2025.