Cha Bum-kun vs Ki Sung-yueng
South Korea against South Korea. The almanac states its case, the crowd votes, you decide.
Cha Bum-kun
South Korea · 1980–88 · RM
- Almanac rating
- 89
- Rank in South Korea
- #2 of 33
- Caps
- 129 · 56 goals
- Clubs
- SV Darmstadt 98, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer 04 Leverkusen
- Honours
- Hall of Fame 2019
Bayer Leverkusen trailed Espanyol 3-0 from the first leg of the 1988 UEFA Cup final when he scored the goal that made it 3-3 on aggregate and forced the shootout they went on to win. That was his second UEFA Cup after Eintracht Frankfurt's in 1980, making him the first to win the trophy with two German clubs, and he scored 98 goals in 308 Bundesliga games before the IFFHS named him Asia's player of the century. Career record: 129 caps and 56 goals for South Korea; club career at SV Darmstadt 98, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer 04 Leverkusen; honours include Hall of Fame 2019.
Ki Sung-yueng
South Korea · 2011–13 · CDM
- Almanac rating
- 84
- Rank in South Korea
- #10 of 33
- Caps
- 110 · 10 goals
- Clubs
- FC Seoul, Celtic, Swansea City A.F.C.
Thirty-two minutes into the 2011 Scottish Cup final at Hampden he hit a left-footed drive from 25 yards, the goal that opened Celtic's 3-0 win over Motherwell. The Scottish title followed in 2012, then Olympic bronze in London that August and the League Cup with Swansea City in 2013 after a club-record transfer, with 110 caps and the South Korea captaincy behind him. Career record: 110 caps and 10 goals for South Korea; club career at FC Seoul, Celtic, Swansea City A.F.C..
The verdict
The almanac puts Cha Bum-kun ahead by 5 rating points, 89 against 84.
Fans have not settled this one yet. Cast the first vote in the duels.