Atlético Madrid's Lee Kang-in, second from left, celebrates scoring his first goal with teammates during a match against Málaga CF at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on Aug. 19.REUTERS/YONHAP
Lee Kang-in marked his official Atlético Madrid debut in spectacular fashion, scoring the opening goal and leading his new club to victory while earning Player of the Match honors.
Lee scored the opening goal as Atlético beat Malaga CF 2-0 in the first round of the 2026-27 La Liga season at Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid on Wednesday.
With the score tied 0-0 in the 70th minute, Lee controlled a cross-field pass from the right with his chest. He then dribbled toward the center, used a body feint to beat three defenders and unleashed his trademark curling left-footed shot from near the right side of the penalty arc. The ball curled toward the far post and into the left side of the net. Lee celebrated with a knee slide and an uppercut celebration.
An image uploaded to Atlético Madrid's social media celebrates Lee Kang-in's goal.SCREEN CAPTURE
Lee could hardly have asked for a better start at his new club. His goal came on his official debut, just a month after he joined Atlético from Paris Saint-Germain for 40 million euros ($46.7 million).
He had previously come off the bench in preseason matches against Manchester City in Seoul and Olympique de Marseille in France but did not record a goal or assist. But during Wednesday's match, Lee showed why Atlético entrusted him with the No. 7 shirt previously worn by Antoine Griezmann, the club's all-time leading scorer.
Lee started the match on the bench and came on alongside Álex Baena and Giuliano Simeone in the 57th minute. He immediately tested his range with an ambitious left-footed shot from distance. He then forced a corner with another shot and delivered a dangerous cross before finally breaking the deadlock in the 70th minute.
His playmaking abilities were on display as well. In the 73rd minute, he played an incisive through ball, but Ademola Lookman's ensuing shot was denied by a save from the goalkeeper, leaving Lee just short of an assist.
Baena, a Spain international, made it 2-0 with a curling right-footed free kick in the 85th minute. Lee also drew a foul that resulted in a booking for an opponent. Atlético closed out a 2-0 victory over newly promoted Malaga.
Lee was named Player of the Match after the final whistle, capping a dream official debut for Atlético.
Spanish sports daily Diario AS hailed Lee's performance, writing on Wednesday that "Griezmann may no longer be there, but his No. 7 has an heir — Lee Kang-in."
The paper added that Lee's goal was as beautiful and decisive as those once scored by Griezmann.
In a separate article the same day, Diario AS pushed back against the idea that Lee joined Atlético merely because of his commercial appeal, including selling jerseys and promoting matches in Korea. It pointed to Julián Álvarez, whose proposed move to Barcelona fell through, and urged him to take note of Lee's attitude.
Lee said he believes both he and the team will improve as he continues to build his match fitness.
"I still need to get into better match rhythm, but I believe that if I keep working hard, both my team and I will continue to improve," Lee said. "We will prepare in the best way possible and do everything we can to win every game."
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.
