Kim Min-jae vs Park Ji-sung
South Korea against South Korea. The almanac states its case, the crowd votes, you decide.
Kim Min-jae
South Korea · 2018–22 · CB
- Almanac rating
- 87
- Rank in South Korea
- #5 of 33
Naples called him il Mostro in his first season there, 2022/23, when he replaced Kalidou Koulibaly and played 35 of 38 league games for a side that had not won Italy since Maradona. That Scudetto came with Serie A's best defender award, the first for an Asian player, and he has since won consecutive Bundesliga titles at Bayern Munich, plus two K League crowns at Jeonbuk and Asian Games gold in 2018.
Park Ji-sung
South Korea · 2008–10 · CM
- Almanac rating
- 89
- Rank in South Korea
- #3 of 33
- Caps
- 100 · 13 goals
- Clubs
- Kyoto Sanga, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United
United supporters called him Three-Lung Park, and the 2010 tie with Milan showed why: Ferguson gave him Andrea Pirlo, and he shadowed the Italian for 180 minutes, scoring himself in the 4-0 second leg at Old Trafford. Four Premier League titles, the 2008 Champions League and three League Cups came at Manchester United, where he was the first Asian player to start a Champions League final, in Rome in 2009. Career record: 100 caps and 13 goals for South Korea; club career at Kyoto Sanga, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United.
The verdict
The almanac puts Park Ji-sung ahead by 2 rating points, 89 against 87.
Fans have not settled this one yet. Cast the first vote in the duels.