▲ Hwang In-beom joining FC Porto
South Korean national football team midfielder Hwang In-beom (29) has transferred to FC Porto, a prestigious club in Portugal's Primeira Liga.
The club announced on its official website today (July 21, KST) that "Hwang In-beom has signed a contract for three years with an option for an additional year. The transfer fee is 4.5 million euros (approximately 7.6 billion won)," adding that "he will wear the jersey with the number 16."
According to local media, while the base transfer fee is 4.5 million euros, an additional 500,000 euros could be added depending on Hwang's performance.
Hwang arrived in Porto on the 19th (local time), completed his medical tests, and held his official unveiling ceremony today.
Hwang becomes the second South Korean player to play for Porto, following Suk Hyun-jun, who joined the club in January 2016.
Born in Daejeon in 1996, Hwang debuted in the K-League with Daejeon Hana Citizen in 2015. He paved the way for his career abroad after winning a gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and moved to the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2019.
In 2020, Hwang transferred to Rubin Kazan in Russia, later played for Olympiacos in Greece, and joined Red Star Belgrade in Serbia in 2023.
After proving his skills at Red Star with achievements including a league title and appearances in the UEFA Champions League, Hwang played for Feyenoord in the Netherlands starting in 2024 before finalizing his move to Porto.
During the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, Hwang led the national team to a 2-1 victory in their Group A opener against the Czech Republic with one goal and one assist. Impressed by his performance, Porto pursued Hwang, leading to the completion of the transfer.
Porto, Hwang's new home, is a powerhouse that has won the Portuguese league title 31 times. The club has also been crowned champions of the UEFA Champions League (1986-1987 and 2003-2004 seasons) and the UEFA Europa League (2002-2003 and 2010-2011 seasons) twice each.
With Hwang's entry into the Portuguese league, a "Korean derby" will take place against midfielder Lee Hyun-ju, who plays for FC Arouca.
In an interview with the club, Hwang identified Park Ji-sung as his "football hero" and explained how he began his football journey, saying, "I naturally encountered football thanks to my father, who played every weekend when I was young. I fell in love with the game after just kicking and touching the ball."
(Photo: FC Porto SNS, Yonhap News)
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