‘2023 Yeongdeok Football Festa’ with World Cup Legends Successfully Concluded

The '2023 Yeongdeok Football Festa,' held to revitalize local soccer and discover and support promising players, successfully concluded on the 7th with a charity match against World Cup Legend FC, composed of South Korea's World Cup national team players.

This event was hosted by the soccer magazine Best Eleven and organized by the Yeongdeok-gun Football Association, Soccer Love Sharing Foundation, and Best Eleven, attracting about 1,000 local residents and spectators, creating a lively atmosphere.

In particular, Kim Ju-seong, representative of World Cup Legend FC, which consists of World Cup national team players from 1986 to 2002, and 21 players played a charity match against a team made up of soccer-loving Yeongdeok residents, including Kim Gwang-yeol, mayor of Yeongdeok-gun, Son Deok-su, chairman of Yeongdeok-gun Council, Kim Seo-gyu, chairman of Yeongdeok-gun Sports Council, and Ha Sang-mok, president of Yeongdeok-gun Football Association. The funds raised were donated to local elementary and middle school soccer teams and low-income youth.

Additionally, various side events and activities were held, such as soccer clinics for Ganggu Elementary and Middle School soccer teams, a legend fan signing event, a soccer history and relic exhibition by soccer collector Lee Jae-hyung, and giveaways of uniforms and signed balls.

Kim Ju-seong, representative of World Cup Legend FC, expressed surprise, saying, "I did not know that the people of Yeongdeok-gun had such great interest and affection for soccer," and shared his thoughts, "I hope that this successful event will encourage the people of Yeongdeok-gun and the entire nation to love and enjoy soccer even more."

Ha Sang-mok, president of Yeongdeok-gun Football Association, said, "I hope many people can see, learn from, and enjoy the heroes of the World Cup saga up close and create memories to cherish in their lives," and added, "We will do our best to further solidify Yeongdeok-gun’s status as a military spirit of the county and now a leading city in South Korean soccer."