2026 Season Preview: FC Seoul | OneFootball

After a disappointing end to the 2025 campaign, the 2026 Hana Bank K League 1 season represents one of opportunity for FC Seoul. Manager Kim Gi-dong is a man under pressure but has backed himself to succeed. Can Seoul post-Jesse Lingard finally get back into the title reckoning?

Last Season

12 W 13 D 13 L, 6th

What Happened?

FC Seoul sleepwalked into sixth place following a lacklustre end to the 2025 campaign. Seoul won just once post-split and managed just three wins in the third round robin of the season. It was a disappointing end, having started well, going unbeaten from Round 2 to 8 and going on similar good runs unbeaten, notably two stretches of five matches.

But home form wasn't good enough. The Sangam faithful witnessed just seven wins from 19 matches, and not once all season did Seoul win back-to-back home games in the league. Kim Gi-dong's men lost more matches than they won, conceded more than they scored, and ended the season with fewer points (49) than seventh-place Gwangju and the same number as newcomers FC Anyang (Final B).

It wasn't just the results that caused discontent amongst the supporters, but the sale of club legend Ki Sung-yeung brought extra scrutiny to a manager who was already feeling the pressure. After getting back into the Champions League with a fourth-place finish in 2024, the 2025 campaign was a big step backwards.

Notable Moves

Jesse Lingard headlines the list of departures, but Song Min-kyu from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors headlines the list of arrivals. Song will be seen as a direct replacement for Lingard, while the arrival of Leonardo Ruiz from K League 2 Seongnam FC will add much-needed firepower. At the other end of the field, after making several errors, Kang Hyun-mu has serious competition for his place between the sticks with former Korean international stopper Gu Sung-yun joining from Seoul E-Land. A difficult contract situation with star centre back Yazan Al-Arab meant that Seoul had to move quickly for a replacement, bringing in Spaniard Juan Antonio Ros from Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, a former Barca youth player. FC Seoul's winter acquisitions have mainly been about finding replacements for the major departures, but there's still a lack of depth at full back and at centre back.

Key Player

Leonardo Ruiz

FC Seoul had the highest xG in K League 1 last year with 62.5, but 50 goals scored represent a big discrepancy. xGD (expected goals difference) of 21.2 was also the highest. Seoul ranked second for shots on target per match with 5.3, and first for big chances with 83, and third for touches in the box, but they also ranked first for big chances missed with 57. A lot of FC Seoul's problems could have been masked if they were able to convert their chances. That task now falls to Leonardo Ruiz, who was prolific in K League 2 for Seongnam FC. Seoul have other attacking players who will be expected to pitch in with goals, but Ruiz will be seen as the main man in front of goal.

Young Player(s) to Watch

Go Pil-gwan and Son Jeong-beom

There aren't too many players with first-team experience who qualify as U22 currently on the books of FC Seoul. Centre back Ham Sun-woo, who spent the 2025 season on loan at Hwaseong, is a player of great potential but doesn't appear to be anywhere near the first team for whatever reason. According to agency sources, FC Seoul are willing to listen to offers from clubs in Europe for Ham, which leaves Samuel Gbato, primarily just to see if the left-winger will be able to break into the first team properly.

But as the 19-year-old made just two appearances for the first team last year, a total of 46 minutes, fans may expect to see more of Go Pil-gwan and Son Jeong-beom. Both are former South Korea U18 national team players. Go Pil-gwan is seen as a player who excels on the ball and as a sharp passer who can link play up. Reports say he has a high level of tactical understanding, strong football intelligence, can defend well and is not shy of a duel.

Son Jeong-beom is a midfielder with strong technical ability and a player who likes to attack, excelling in dribbling, combination play, and penetrating runs. He is praised for his creativity in attack and his active defensive involvement and effectiveness in challenges. With his high work rate in the midfield, he is expected to be an influential presence in both attacking and defensive phases of play.

Biggest Question

Can Kim Gi-dong get the best out of this squad?

While the squad is a little top-heavy, with a lack of quality at centre back and a lack of depth at full back, there is a lot of attacking talent on the books of FC Seoul. Kim Gi-dong will be under pressure from the off to start strong and prove to the fans that he deserves to lead the team in 2026. He is said to be a factor in why players choose FC Seoul over other clubs, and having worked with Song Min-kyu before at Pohang, the left winger should therefore be pivotal for the capital club's attack.

Reason to Watch

FC Seoul have been a side tipped to get back into the title reckoning for the last few seasons but have thus far failed to do that. This year, with Ulsan seemingly in need of a rebuild and with a new manager at Jeonbuk, this could be the year that Seoul finally makes a push for the title, or at least buts into the conversation.