AFC Awards
Held at the dazzling King Fahad Cultural Center, the 24-year-old fended off the challenge of Islamic Republic of Iran’s Mehdi Taremi and Japan’s Takefusa Kubo to land the accolade.
Lee’s victory marked the fourth consecutive year that the prestigious award was presented to a player from the Korea Republic as the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward cemented his place in Asian football folklore alongside compatriots Son Heung-min (2019, 2023) and Kim Min-jae (2022).
The silky attacker enjoyed a watershed season with PSG, joining the exclusive quadruple club as the French side sealed their fourth consecutive Ligue 1 crown before lifting the Trophee des Champions and the Coupe de France trophy.
He became only the second player from the Korea Republic after former Manchester United star Park Ji-sung to win the UEFA Champions League as the French giants claimed its first European title in May 2025.
Lee also became the first Asian player to score in the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup as PSG reached the Final, while his four goals and four assists helped Korea Republic seal both FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup™ qualification.
The award also represented a full circle moment for the former Valencia and Mallorca ace having clinched the AFC Youth Player of the Year (Men) at the 2019 ceremony in Hong Kong, China, after securing the Golden Ball honour following his exploits at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019 where he led the young Taeguk Warriors to a historic runners-up finish.
Photo: AFP
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