‘Ace’ Uhm Seong with World Cup experience leads Asian Games gold medal
He won the scoring and assist titles with the winning goal in the final match between Korea and Japan, and played a leading role in Korea's fourth consecutive gold medal in soccer.
Quick Look
- In the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games men's soccer final, Uhm Seong scored the winning goal, leading Korea to a 1-0 victory and winning the gold medal for the fourth time in a row.
- Um Ji-seong, who participated as a wild card, completed his role as an ace by winning both the top scorer and the top assists in this tournament.
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Why It Matters
The Korean men's soccer team achieved its fourth consecutive Asian Games gold medal by winning this tournament. Uhm Seong was selected as a wild card and led the team's attack.
Uhm Um-seong (Swansea City), who was expected to play the role of 'ace' in the men's soccer team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, completed his 'wild card' mission by shining as a problem solver in the final match between Korea and Japan.
In the final match against Japan held at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan on the 3rd, Umjiseong scored the go-ahead goal in the 16th minute of the second half to break the score of 0, contributing greatly to Korea's 1-0 victory and their fourth consecutive gold medal.
This goal was Uhm Seong's fourth goal of the tournament, and it was also the goal that confirmed him as the top scorer while several players were tied for the lead with three goals before the final.
In addition, he recorded 4 assists, the most among the players in this tournament, leaving his name as the most outstanding player in the offensive category of this tournament.
‘European’ Uhm Seong, who has played for Swansea City in the English second division championship since 2024, is already an active player in the adult national team, including participating in the FIFA North and Central America World Cup held this year.
In the Asian Games men's soccer, where players under the age of 23 participate, each team can include up to three players over the age of 24, and Uhm Seong, born in 2002, was selected by coach Lee Min-seong as one of them.
He received attention for his impressive performance even in the shocking group stage elimination at the World Cup, and was in good shape with his team at the beginning of the 2026-2027 season, and continued the momentum by joining Lee Min-seong.
In the first group match against Qatar on the 15th, he scored a hat trick in the 7th minute of the first half, leading the team to a 4-1 victory, leading the team to a fresh start.
Although he did not score until the semifinals, Umjiseong saved his teammates by providing 4 assists and stepped up to the rescue once again when it mattered most.
On this day, in the 16th minute of the second half, when Korea seemed to be losing out little by little to the energetic Japan, which consisted only of players under the age of 21, Yang Min-hyuk (Westerlo)'s pass passed by the Japanese goalkeeper, and Uhm Uhm-seong, who won in front of the goal, brilliantly beat the opponent's defense and fired a left-footed shot, turning it into a golden goal.
This U-23 national team was evaluated as lacking star players such as Son Heung-min (LAFC) at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid) at the 2022 Hangzhou Games held in 2023, but Uhm Ji-seong continued the lineage and firmly maintained its hegemony at the Asian Games.
With the gold medal he personally led in the Asian Games, Uhm Seong received military service benefits and was given the opportunity to continue his career in Europe. As his team has already shown signs of a 'career high' season, attention is focused on whether he will continue the momentum by coming back with a gold medal around his neck.
