Lee Kang-in called up for FIFA U-20 World Cup

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Lee Kang-in called up for FIFA U-20 World Cup

Valencia CF midfielder Lee Kang-in will play for Korea at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland this month.

The 18-year-old was a no-brainer choice among the 21 players named on Thursday to head coach Chung Jung-yong’s squad, which will take on Portugal, South Africa and Argentina in the May 23 to June 15 tournament.

Lee is the youngest player on the team and one of four players born in the 2000s. This will be the first FIFA tournament for Lee, who has appeared in seven matches for the U-20 national team and scored four goals. Lee is one of five players on the team who plays in Europe - the others are Hamburger SV goalkeeper Choi Min-su, Bayern Munich forward Jeong Woo-yeong, FC Liefering midfielder Kim Jung-min and Dinamo Zagreb defender Kim Hyun-woo.

Lee received his first call-up to the senior national team in March for two friendly matches at home. He was the seventh-youngest player to make the men’s national team and he would have become the third-youngest to play for Korea, had head coach Paulo Bento not kept Lee on the bench against Bolivia and Colombia.

Last October, Lee became the youngest Korean to debut in European football when he got the start against Ebro in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey.

The Korean players are scheduled to depart for Poland on Sunday. They will play two other U-20 World Cup contestants - New Zealand and Ecuador - in tune-up matches in Poland on May 11 and 17 before opening the group stage against Portugal on May 25.

Yonhap
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