Home > Sports > Football

Football legends arrive in Korea for Icons Match

Published: 13 Sep. 2025, 17:46

Thierry Henry signs an autograph at the Incheon International Airport on Sept. 12. [NEWS1]

Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney and Gareth Bale — once among the world’s biggest football stars — touched down in Korea, drawing throngs of fans to Incheon International Airport on Friday.

The football legends arrived on Friday and will take the field at the Nexon 2025 Icons Match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Sept. 14.

Now in its second year, the match splits legends into two sides: Shield United, made up primarily of defenders and FC Spear, packed with attackers.

Beyond Ronaldinho, Rooney and Bale, the star-studded cast includes Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, Carles Puyol and Steven Gerrard. Korean participants include Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo, Koo Ja-cheol, Park Joo-ho, Seol Ki-hyeon and Kim Young-kwang.

Organizers say the combined market value of the 25 overseas players, at their peak, tops 1.4 trillion won ($1 billion) with the group collectively hoisting 33 UEFA Champions League “Big Ears” trophies and nine World Cup titles during their careers.

Fans flocked to the airport with jerseys in hand, hoping for autographs. At times, movement inside the terminal slowed to a crawl as supporters trailed the players and mingled with travelers. A video titled “Incheon Airport arrival catastrophe” went viral online, showing hundreds of fans filling the corridors, while commenters voiced safety concerns about the unruly crowd despite the presence of security.

A photo of Incheon International Airport on Friday uploaded to Korean online communities [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Nexon, who hosts the match, hyped the spectacle, promising a close-up look at Gerrard’s thunderous long-range strikes, Bale’s bursts of pace, Rooney’s bulldozing runs and Buffon’s super saves. Ticket sales, which opened on Aug. 22, sold out in 20 minutes.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]