Lee Kang-in scores penalty in FIFA Club World Cup, thanks Vitinha for support

Lee Kang-in (24, Paris Saint-Germain) scored in the restructured FIFA Club World Cup, becoming the first Korean player to do so. Behind this, there was hidden support from teammate Vitinha (25).

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defeated Atletico Madrid 4-0 in their first match of Group B in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, held on the 16th (Korean time) at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles, USA.

It was a good start. PSG achieved a quadruple, winning their first UEFA Champions League (UCL) title in club history, as well as the Ligue 1, Trophée des Champions, and Coupe de France trophies, successfully qualifying for the Club World Cup. They demonstrated their strength by defeating La Liga powerhouse Atletico right from the first match.

On that day, Louis Enrique, the PSG coach, started with a 4-3-3 formation. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Gonçalo Ramos, and Désiré Doué were in the front line, with Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, and João Neves in the midfield, and Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi, and Gianluigi Donnarumma in defense. Lee Kang-in sat on the bench.

It was a one-sided match. PSG scored the opening goal with Ruiz's long-range shot in the 19th minute of the first half. Additional time saw Vitinha add another goal following a personal breakthrough, ending the first half at 2-0.

Lee Kang-in entered the game. He was substituted in for Ruiz in the 27th minute of the second half, stepping onto the pitch. PSG continued to dominate Atletico. In the 33rd minute, a red card for opposing defender Clément Lenglet gave PSG a numerical advantage, and in the 42nd minute, they extended their lead to 3-0 with a goal from Senni Mayulu.

Lee Kang-in also tasted the joy of scoring. He took a penalty kick awarded for a handball foul by the opponent in added time, perfectly deceiving the goalkeeper to find the back of the net. Having scored after a long time, Lee Kang-in smiled as his teammates congratulated him.

In fact, the designated penalty taker for PSG is not Lee Kang-in but Vitinha. However, it was Lee Kang-in, not Vitinha, who took the penalty. After the match, France's Le Parisien noted, "Why did Vitinha give the penalty to Lee Kang-in? The Portuguese midfielder, who usually takes the most penalties, assisted the late goal for his Korean teammate and explained the reason."

Vitinha said in an interview with broadcaster DAZN, "This is something I have already discussed with the coach and the other penalty takers. Usually, I take them. If Ousmane Dembélé is there, he will take them. Today, it was my turn to take it."

He continued, "But I am not a striker, so I do not need to score goals. Therefore, if the score gap is significant, I give the penalty to the attacker who needs a goal. That was the case with Lee Kang-in," explaining that he made the concession out of consideration for Lee Kang-in.

Le Parisien also hoped that Lee Kang-in would spread his wings again following this goal. The media pointed out, "Lee Kang-in had not scored a goal since netting a double against Angers in Ligue 1 on Nov. 9 of last year. With six goals recorded this season, he was gradually seeing less playing time due to a lack of decisiveness."

Finally, Le Parisien emphasized, "Lee Kang-in scored from the penalty he took 16 minutes after coming in against Atletico. Naturally, he was not the original kicker, but Vitinha entrusted the ball to him. Lee Kang-in took the chance without hesitation and scored, hoping that he quickly regains his confidence, having scored his 12th goal across all competitions for PSG."

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