What is the "Korean Messi" like now?

Lee Seung-woo once made a big splash.

When discussing South Korean football talents, it's impossible not to mention Lee Seung-woo, Paik Seung-ho, and Chan Kyul-hee, players who were once recruited by Barcelona but were unable to play for the Catalan club due to a FIFA ban in 2014.

At that time, FIFA imposed a ban on Barcelona from signing players for two transfer windows (winter and summer 2015), along with a fine of €370,000. The reason was that Barcelona violated regulations regarding the signing of professional contracts with players under 18 years old (in non-European countries) between 2009 and 2013.

AS suggests that if this punishment hadn't happened, perhaps one of these South Korean players would have had the chance to play for Barcelona's first team.

Lee Seung-woo was the most talked-about player at the time. He was known as a bright young talent and was dubbed the "Korean Messi." Currently, Lee still plays in his homeland for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, but his career hasn't gone as expected.

Lee Seung-woo, older brother 1

Lee is currently playing in the K.League.

Lee previously played for clubs such as Hellas Verona (Italy), Sint-Truiden (Belgium), and Portimonense (Portugal), but did not leave a significant mark. He returned to his homeland in 2022 to sign with Suwon and currently plays for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Since 2024, Lee has made 27 appearances for his new club and scored 3 goals.

Lee made 12 appearances for the national team but failed to score any goals. He was completely overshadowed by Lee Kang-in, who is currently a star for the South Korean national team and recently won the Champions League with PSG.

Paik Seung-ho, another player affected by the FIFA ban, faced a similar situation to Lee. He had to seek opportunities at other clubs after leaving La Masia. Paik previously played for Girona (Spain) and Darmstadt (Germany) and currently plays for Birmingham City in the Championship.

The remaining member of the trio is Chan Kyul-hee, who also had a lackluster career in Europe and is rarely mentioned.

Lee, Paik, and Chan all harbored ambitions of making a name for themselves in Europe like their senior teammate Son Heung-min. However, faced with the harsh realities of top-level football, all three quickly became disillusioned.

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