FC Seoul of K League 1 is on the verge of reclaiming the throne after a long 10-year drought.

The team could potentially celebrate an early championship victory as early as this upcoming weekend match.

Seoul will host Gimcheon Sangmu on October 18 for the Round 32 match of the Hana Bank K League 1 2026.

Currently, Seoul boasts an impressive record of 20 wins, 5 draws, and 6 losses this season, accumulating 65 points and maintaining an overwhelming lead at the top of the standings.

The gap with second-place Ulsan HD (47 points) stands at a massive 18 points.

Having entered the championship countdown, Seoul only needs to secure 4 more points from their remaining 7 matches to clinch the regular league title independently, regardless of pursuit from second place.

This marks their first championship in 10 years since 2016 and the 7th in the club's history.

Depending on the results of matches at other stadiums, the champion could even be decided as early as the next round.

This scenario requires second-place Ulsan to record a draw or loss against Bucheon FC at home on October 17 at 4:30 PM, alongside a victory for first-place Seoul when they host Gimcheon Sangmu on October 18 at 4:30 PM.

If Ulsan ties with Bucheon to reach 48 points, even if they win all of their remaining 6 matches to add 18 points, their maximum possible points would cap at 66.

On the other hand, if Seoul defeats Gimcheon, they will reach 68 points and prematurely secure first place regardless of the remaining match results.

Should Seoul secure the championship early in Round 32, they will match the record set by Jeonbuk Hyundai in 2018 and 2025, who claimed the top spot in 32 matches before entering the split rounds (final rounds).

They are also poised to far surpass their pacing from past championship seasons.

When Seoul won the title in 2016, they finished the season with a total of 21 wins and 70 points, but this year they have already hit the 20-win mark (65 points) with 7 matches still remaining.

Notably, as the only team among the 12 K League 1 clubs to have avoided falling into a losing streak even once, they are delivering a more comfortable title race for their fans than ever before.

At the center of this dominant system is manager Kim Gi-dong, known as "Kidong Magic."

Having left Pohang Steelers in the winter of 2023 to take the helm at Seoul, manager Kim experienced a somewhat disappointing transitional period with a 4th-place finish in the 2024 season and 6th place in 2025, but his tactics have finally blossomed this year, establishing a stable balance between offense and defense.

Indeed, over 31 league matches this season, Seoul has recorded 58 goals scored and 26 goals conceded.

The team's goals scored rank an overwhelming first, outdistancing second-place Ulsan (48 goals) by a notable 10-goal margin, while goals conceded also lead the league as the fewest, letting in 2 goals fewer than second-place Gangwon (28 goals conceded).

Up front, forward Patryk Klimala, who has netted 14 goals and is locked in a fierce battle for the scoring title with Yago (Ulsan, 15 goals), alongside winger Jung Seung-won with 8 goals and 6 assists, are driving the explosive firepower.

In the back, veteran fullback Kim Jin-su and goalkeeper Gu Sung-yun are showing an airtight defense, demonstrating flawless overall strength.

(Photo courtesy of Korea Professional Football League, Yonhap News)