Asian star achieves Champions League miracle in an unexpected way

Lee Kang-in did not feature in the Champions League final, but the South Korean midfielder still set a historic record that no Asian footballer had accomplished before.

At dawn on May 31, PSG successfully defended their Champions League title with a thrilling victory over Arsenal. The European final witnessed a tense 120-minute battle before the French side won 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time. However, one of the most notable stories belonged to Lee Kang-in.

The South Korean midfielder was not used by coach Luis Enrique for a single minute in the final. He remained on the bench throughout the 120 minutes and did not take part in the decisive penalty shootout. Nevertheless, right after PSG's coronation night, Lee Kang-in still entered Champions League history in a way that few could have imagined before.

Not playing in the final did not mean Lee Kang-in was outside PSG's achievement. Throughout the journey to defend their European crown in the 2025-2026 season, the South Korean international appeared in 10 Champions League matches. He contributed one assist and was regularly used in the squad rotation plans of the defending champions.

In total, Lee Kang-in played 267 minutes in the most prestigious club competition in Europe. Although this figure cannot compare with PSG's key players, his contributions were still enough to be recognized in the successful campaign of the Parisian club. Therefore, when PSG lifted the championship trophy, Lee Kang-in officially became part of history.

The special thing is that this is the second consecutive season that Lee Kang-in and PSG have won the Champions League. Thanks to that, the 25-year-old midfielder became the first Asian player to win this tournament in two consecutive seasons. This is an achievement never seen before in Asian football history since the Champions League adopted its modern format.

Previously, South Korean football legend Park Ji-sung won the Champions League with Manchester United in the 2007-2008 season. However, he was not registered to play in the final against Chelsea. Therefore, no Asian player had been able to maintain a Champions League title across two consecutive seasons like Lee Kang-in.

At 25 years old, Lee Kang-in has added another memorable milestone to his already successful career. Ironically, that historic milestone came on a night when he did not play a single minute in the final. But that very fact makes the story of the South Korean star even more special, as he still became a new icon of Asian football on the most prestigious stage in Europe.