Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon), a wildcard player, has been appointed as the captain of the under-23 (U-23) men's national football team aiming for the gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

An official from the national team stated today (September 14), a day ahead of the team's opening group-stage match against Qatar (September 15) at the Sports Park in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, that Lee Ki-hyuk will serve as the captain for this tournament.

Born in 2000, Lee is a versatile player who drew attention earlier by receiving a surprise selection for the North and Central America World Cup national team held in June of this year.

He boarded the Asian Games squad as one of three players aged 24 or older (wildcards) and has even been entrusted with the heavy responsibility of the captaincy.

Meeting with the press at the training ground, Lee shared the background of accepting the captaincy, saying, "The coach asked me to serve as the anchor of the team during a private meeting. I also thought it was a great opportunity, and I wanted to be a source of strength for the players."

He resolved, "Having experienced a major stage (the World Cup), I learned a lot from the older players. If I pass those lessons on well to my current teammates so they don't go to waste, I think we can show an even better side of ourselves. We are communicating well with the players, and I will make use of this good experience to achieve great results together."

It is said that after becoming captain, the first thing Lee emphasized to his teammates was "desperation."

He explained, "When I went to the World Cup, I once asked older players who had experienced the Asian Games. Since there is naturally a desire to resolve military service obligations with a gold medal, they told me that such desperation is important. I delivered that same message, and we are preparing well with that sense of desperation."

Capable of playing across center-back, fullback, and defensive midfield positions, Lee is bound to hold immense tactical importance for this national team.

Lee emphasized, "The coach has various thoughts, but since there is a strong expectation that I anchor the team as a defensive midfielder, facilitate play, or contribute defensively, it is very likely I will play as a defensive midfielder. As the eldest and the captain, I believe that if I anchor the team well, the matches will go a bit smoother."

He added, "We've had a strong mindset since training domestically, and everyone has a great desire to succeed. I will work hard so that we can definitely win the gold medal we targeted."

(Photo: Yonhap News)