Lee Kang-in Named World Cup Best 11 with Messi, Mbappé

Lee Kang-in has been named to Spain’s AS “Best 11” for the 2026 North America-Central America-World Cup group stage, earning an attacking midfield spot with a power ranking score of 23.96. AS announced the selections on June 28 (Korean time), naming both a “Gold Team” Best 11 and a reserve “Silver Team,” arranged in a 3-4-3 formation. Lee started and played the full 90 minutes in all three Group A matches against the Czech Republic, Mexico, and South Africa, becoming the only Asian player to do so. He was also the only member from a team that did not advance. AS noted his second-place ranking among midfielders was limited by South Korea’s failure to qualify as one of the top third-placed teams. The Best 11 forwards included Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, and Kylian Mbappé, while midfielders included Rodri, Granit Xhaka, and Pedri, and the defense featured Gabriel Magalhães, Aymeric Laporte, and Jan-Paul van Hecke. Mostafa Shobir was listed as the top goalkeeper.