Valencia CF player Kang In, along with the rest of the Korean Republic national team, received a hero's welcome upon their return home from Poland, where they finished runners-up in the Under-20s World Cup this past weekend. Kang In was named Player of the Tournament for his contribution in the competition, at the age of just 18.

The squad were greeted at Incheon airport by fans chanting their name, and then they would head to the city hall in Seoul, where a larger-scale ceremony took place.

Kang In spoke to those in attendance, saying that "My aim was to win the tournament, and although we couldn't quite do that in the end, I have no regrets because I did the best that I could. I will remember this tournament with a lot of fondness."

"I didn't win the Golden Ball trophy by myself; it belongs to the entire team. I was able to play well because my teammates competed hard and made things easy for me on the pitch," he emphasised.
Previous winners of the Golden Ball include Maradona (1979), Messi (2005), Sergio Agüero (2007,) and Paul Pogba (2013).

(Photos: KFA)