Lee Kang-in shines with dribbling, Son Heung-min leads shots in World Cup qualifier

Lee Kang-in, a key player for South Korea, has emerged as a standout performer in the early stages of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, particularly in his dribbling prowess. According to an analysis by the BBC using Opta data from the first 24 group stage matches, Lee ranks joint second in successful dribbles with an impressive 83% success rate.

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Lee Kang-in ranks second in successful dribbles at the 2026 World Cup qualifiers after the first match, with a 83% success rate.

Lee attempted six dribbles in South Korea's opening match against the Czech Republic, successfully completing five. He shares the second spot with Mexico's Julián Quiñones. Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo leads the category with an 86% success rate from seven attempts. In contrast, prominent players like Vinícius Júnior of Brazil failed to complete any of his nine dribbles, while Kylian Mbappé of France had a success rate of only 11%.

Meanwhile, captain Son Heung-min, a star forward for South Korea, recorded six shots in the match, placing him joint third in total attempts alongside Lionel Messi and others. He also registered an expected goals (xG) of 1.01, indicating he had chances that statistically suggested a goal was likely. However, Son was unable to convert these opportunities, a performance the BBC noted as surprisingly inefficient given his status as one of the Premier League's top attackers during his time at Tottenham.

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Son Heung-min is tied for third in total shots with 6 attempts and had an expected goals (xG) of 1.01 but failed to score.

Despite Son's lack of scoring, South Korea secured a crucial 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic in their opening game. The team is now preparing for their next match against Mexico.

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Son Heung-min had an expected goals (xG) of 1.01 but failed to score. BBC noted this as a surprisingly inefficient performance.