Lee Seung-woo (Jeonbuk), a national soccer striker with the national flag for the first time in five years, expressed his determination to do his best as he has been waiting for this time.
“I haven’t thought about North Korea and Central America yet,” Lee told reporters before the official training of the national soccer team at Yongin Mir Stadium on the afternoon of the previous day. “It would be nice to play in the game, but even if it’s not that, I hope we can make a lot of good memories in the national team.”
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, trained two days before the fourth round of the Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup against Iraq.
Lee Seung-woo was selected ahead of the match against Iraq along with Moon Seon-min (Jeonbuk Hyundai) as substitutes for Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) and Um Ji-sung (Swansea City), who were called up due to injury in the last match against Jordan. It is the first time in five years and four months that Lee Seung-woo has been selected for the national team since a friendly match with Iran in June 2019. He has not been appointed under the leadership of Paulo Bento and Jurgen Klinsmann.
“I came to the national team all of a sudden,” Lee said. “I heard that I was selected as a substitute on Wednesday evening. I didn’t have a ticket when I was on the train on the morning of the 12th. I sat in the carrier with my brother (Moon) Sun-min,” Lee said with a smile. 메이저사이트
When asked if he had thought about playing in the World Cup finals in North Korea and the U.S., Lee Seung-woo said, “I’ve never thought about it yet,” adding, “I’ve built my body by training every day thinking, ‘It’s going to work out somehow,’ as it goes by.” “I’ve come to this special place, after a really long time,” he added.
Lee, a former F.C. Barcelona youth player in Spain’s Primera Liga, started his K-League 1 career with Suwon FC in December 2021 after playing in Italy, Belgium and Portugal. He moved to Jeonbuk in July this year. He has scored 11 goals and five assists in this season’s K-League 1.
“I just want to do my best (if I get a chance to play),” Lee Seung-woo said. “It’s been so long since I’ve been here and I’ve been waiting for this time, so I want to prepare well and show everything I can show.”