FC Seoul U17 Wins K League International Youth Cup With 4-1 Victory Over Gwangju FC U17
FC Seoul U17 won the KLeague International Youth Cup Incheon 2026 by defeating Gwangju FC U17 4-1 in the final on October 30 at the Incheon Namdong Asiad Rugby Stadium, marking the first time a South Korean team has captured the tournament title in its four-year history.
Seoul Overcomes Gwangju as Lee Ju-chan Nets Hat-Trick
The final matched two domestic academies that topped their respective groups earlier in the week. FC Seoul, led by manager Yoon Si-ho, deployed a starting lineup featuring Lee Ju-chan, Kim Jun-seo, Shin Ryul, Kim Ryu-min, Lee Eun-seong, Jung Tae-ha, An Je-min, Moon Ji-hwan, Noh Si-on, Shim Gyu-yeon, and Han Kwan-ho. Gwangju, directed by manager Park Yohan, countered with Kim Jung-hwan, Thomas Lopez, Seok Ji-hwan, Lee Yoon-gyol, Park Seong-hyun, Kim Kyung-bin, Hwang Jun-young, Ryu Geon-ho, Song Si-woo, Jung Woo-jin, and Jeon Seo-hwi.
Seoul struck early in the 6th minute when a left-sided cross found Lee Ju-chan driving into the penalty area, whose header slipped through the goalkeeper’s legs for the opening goal. Gwangju equalized in the 18th minute as Kim Kyung-bin struck a long-range right-footed shot from the arc that settled into the upper left corner.
After halftime, Seoul brought on Wongsapasawat for Kim Jun-seo. The tactical adjustment paid off in the 47th minute when An Je-min delivered a through ball down the left flank, allowing Lee Ju-chan to finish with his right foot for a 2-1 lead. In the 55th minute, An Je-min launched another penetrating pass that unlocked the Gwangju defense, setting up Noh Si-on to score a powerful left-footed shot. Five minutes later, Lee Ju-chan completed his hat-trick by breaking behind the backline and curling a right-footed shot past the goalkeeper to seal the 4-1 victory.
FC Seoul and Gwangju FC Lead Group Standings
In Group A, FC Seoul finished unbeaten with 4 wins and 1 draw for 13 points, outpacing Ulsan HD (10 points), FC Midtjylland from Denmark (6 points), AD Union Adarve from Spain (6 points), Kashiwa Reysol from Japan (5 points), and Incheon Namgo High School (1 point). In Group B, Gwangju FC took first place with 3 wins and 2 draws for 11 points, followed by Sydney FC from Australia (10 points), Pohang Steelers (7 points), Incheon United (6 points), PVF Football Academy from Vietnam (4 points), and Racing Santander from Spain (2 points).
Previous editions of the competition, which launched in 2023, were won by foreign academies: RCD Espanyol U17 in the inaugural tournament, RSC Anderlecht U17 in the second, and Gamba Osaka U17 in the third.
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