The largest number of home opening games since the 2013 promotion system and the largest number since the 2018 paid spectator count
Lingard, who was from the EPL, gathered cloud spectators due to the effect of director Kim Ki-dong 안전놀이터
The K-League of professional football was shaken by the effect of midfielder Jesse Lingard from the English Premier League (EPL).
51,670 spectators entered the second round of Hana Bank K League 1 2024 between FC Seoul and Incheon United, which kicked off at the Seoul World Cup Stadium at 4 p.m. on the 10th.
It is the new record for the most spectators in the K League since 2018, when the Korea Professional Football Federation began counting paid spectators.
The previous record was 45,007 in the match between Seoul and Daegu FC (3-0 Seoul win) on April 8 last year. At that time, popular singer Lim Young-woong performed with a poetry festival, attracting cloud spectators as “Sister Unit” in their 40s and 60s appeared.
This time, pure soccer fans gather to see Lingard, which is more meaningful.
It is also the largest number of spectators in the K League 1 home opening game since the introduction of the promotion system, exceeding 39,871 at Daegu FC’s home opening game on March 10, 2013.
It is also the new record for the largest number of spectators in a single K-League 1 match since the 2013 promotion system. The previous record was 47,899 at the Super Match on June 18, 2016.
It is also the fourth highest number of spectators in a single K-League game.
Seoul is the most popular club in the K-League. It attracted 22,633 spectators on average last season, opening an era of 20,000 spectators on average for the first time since pay-per-view.
This season, manager Kim Ki-dong, who led the Pohang Steelers to win the FA Cup of the Korea Football Association (current Korea Cup) last year, was newly appointed, and even Lingard, a former member of the English national team, was recruited to draw greater attention.
About 44,000 tickets were sold only for online reservations, and traffic jams occurred near the stadium four hours before kickoff.
A long line of nearly 50 meters stood at the booth that sold only Lingard uniforms.
Lingard, who made his debut as a substitute in the opening first round against Gwangju FC on the 2nd, started playing on the bench on the same day.
Lingard was deployed in the 30th minute of the first half, breaking expectations that he would be deployed in the second half.
Fans who filled the Seoul World Cup Stadium also cheered for Lingard’s appearance, and when he produced a threatening scene on the ground, he applauded and cheered.