Kim Min-jae holds the defender of the year trophy with the Italian Serie A championship medal. 

South Korea international defender Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) has made Asian soccer history by being named among the 30 candidates for the Ballon d'Or.

Kim was included in the list of 30 candidates for the 2023 Ballon d'Or announced by France Football, the French media outlet that organizes the award, 섯다 on July 7 (KST).

This makes Kim the fourth South Korean player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or. Previously, Seol Ki-hyun (2002), Park Ji-sung (2005), and Son Heung-min (2019?2022) were nominated.

Most importantly, he broke new ground by becoming the first Asian defender to be included in the top 30 of the Ballon d'Or. Previously, Japan's Hidetoshi Nakata (1998-1999) and Iraq's Younis Mahmoud (2007) were nominated for the Ballon d'Or, but their positions were midfielders and strikers, respectively.

Asian defenders have been largely underrepresented in world soccer. Ulsan Hyundai's Hong Myung-bo won the Bronze Ball at the 2002 World Cup in Korea-Japan, but the rest is history.

Now, 21 years later, Kim Min-jae is back at the center of world soccer, and it's no surprise given his recent form.

Kim Min-jae joined Napoli in the Italian Serie A last summer and helped the team reach the top of the league for the first time in 33 years.

Upon joining Napoli, Kim immediately established himself as a starter, playing solid defense at the back while also contributing to the team's offense with his quick dribbling runs and accurate passing. For his efforts, Kim became the first Asian player to win the Serie A Defender of the Year award.

In his first-ever UEFA Champions League appearance, Kim also stole the show with outstanding performances against Liverpool (England) and Frankfurt (Germany).

Eventually, this summer, Kim joined Bayern Munich, one of Europe's top clubs. The Bavarians shelled out €50 million (approximately $73 billion) in transfer fees alone to acquire Kim. It's the highest transfer fee ever for an Asian player.

It doesn't stop there. Kim's annual salary is €12 million, which is also the highest for an Asian player. 온라인섯다 If Kim continues to perform well at Bayern Munich, his salary could increase even more if he renews his contract.

With Kim making a name for himself in Europe, young Korean defenders are also on the radar of European clubs. In fact, Kim Ji-Soo (Brentford, England), Lee Han-Beom (Mittwilan, Denmark), and Hwang In-Taek (Estoril Praia, Portugal) have all made their way to Europe this summer.

A soccer insider said, "European teams have become more interested in Korean defenders due to Kim Min-jae's performance. 카지노사이트랭크 He has shown that Korean and Asian defenders are capable of competing with world-class players," explaining that Kim's performance has had a positive impact on the number of defenders entering Europe.

All eyes are now on Kim's final Ballon d'Or ranking. The previous record is 11th, set by Son Heung-min in 2022. At the time, Heung-min was the highest-ranked Asian player in the English Premier League (EPL), 고스톱 leading the league in goals.