Lee Dong-gyeong of South Korea celebrates after scoring a goal against El Salvador during the teams' friendly football match at BYU South Field in Provo, Utah, June 3. Yonhap
Before leaving for the national team's U.S. training camp for the FIFA World Cup last month, South Korean midfielder Lee Dong-gyeong said he wanted to represent the domestic league the best he can.
Lee was one of six players from the K League 1 named to the country's 26-man squad and brought impressive credentials as the 2025 MVP for Ulsan HD FC. Still, Lee will have to beat out strong competition to see action at the World Cup, as there is no shortage of attacking midfielders on the team with the likes of Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Lee Jae-sung (Mainz 05) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers). They all have more international experience and pedigree than Lee Dong-gyeong.
For one match, at least, Lee did his best to announce his presence, netting South Korea's lone goal in their 1-0 win over El Salvador at BYU South Field in Provo, Utah, on Wednesday.
It was South Korea's last match before the World Cup begins next week, following a 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday. And Lee was one of just three players to start both matches, as head coach Hong Myung-bo sought to test as many players as he could before the big tournament.
