The History of K League All-Star Matches

The 1-0 win over Newcastle United was only Team K League's second against a team from Europe, and only their fourth of the Coupang Play Series. But the history of an all-star team from the K League goes back to the early 1990s.

Domestic All-Stars

K League's All-Star team goes back to 1991. The Blue vs. White All-Star format used in the early 1990s, and the Blue Dragon vs. White Tiger format in the mid-90s (1995, 1997) were both rooted in traditional Korean symbolism and practical league structures at the time.

1991, 1992 - Blue Team vs. White Team

These were domestic All-Star matches, with players divided into Team Blue and Team White based on club affiliation. Team Blue was typically players from clubs based in southern or western Korea, such as Daewoo Royals (Busan), Ilhwa Chunma (Cheonan), and Hallelujah FC. 

Team White was usually made up of players from northern or eastern regions, including LG Cheetahs (Seoul), Yukong Elephants (Bucheon, now Jeju), and POSCO Atoms (Pohang). These team assignments were flexible year to year, often adjusted to balance talent. 

1995, 1997 - Blue Dragon vs. White Tiger

Blue Dragon and White Tiger were names that had strong cultural and mythological significance. Blue Dragon (Cheongryong) is a symbol of the East and represents protection, strength, and the sky in Korean and East Asian mythology. White Tiger (Baekho) is a symbol of the West, associated with valor, power, and guardianship.

In these matches, Blue Dragon was made up of Korean players while White Tiger was made up of foreign players. This format not only reflected mythological symbolism but also celebrated the increasing number of foreign players in the league by giving them a spotlight in a competitive but festive setting.

2013 - Classic vs. Challenge

This pitted what is now K League 1 vs. K League 2 against each other. The match ended in a 3-3 draw with Lee Dong-gook, Dejan Damjanović, and Chong Te-se on the score sheet for Classic and Yeom Ki-hun, Koo Ja-cheol, and Wesley Alex on target for Challenge. Some players, namely Koo, Ki Sung-yueng, and Lee Chung-yong, were invited to take part and were assigned to a team.

2015 - Team Choi vs. Team Stielike

This match, which took place at Ansan Wa~ Stadium, and not Seoul World Cup Stadium, as was the case in 2013, was a gesture of solidarity after the Sewol ferry disaster that impacted local students.

The match saw a team picked by Choi Kang-hee face a team picked by Uli Stielike, with the two coaches having 44 players to choose from, names that had been nominated by fans. At the time, Choi was manager of Jeonbuk while Stielike was manager of the national team.

This match also ended 3-3 with goals from Leonardo, Joo Min-kyu, and Kim Ho-nam for Team Choi and YeomKi-hun, Hwang Ui-jo, and Lee Jong-ho for Team Stielike. 

JOMO Cup - K League All-Stars vs. J.League All-Stars

The JOMO Cup was a two-match all-star exhibition series held in 2008 and 2009, pitting the K League All-Stars against the J.League All-Stars. It served as a showcase of top talent from both countries, aiming to boost fan interest and regional football cooperation. Sponsorship came from Japan Energy Corporation, which operates JOMO fuel stations - hence the name “JOMO Cup.” 

Both leagues selected players and coaching staff via fan voting, continuing the format used in domestic J.League All-Star games. The first match, in 2008, ended in a 3-1 win for the K League All-Stars, the second, in 2009, ended in a 4-1 win for J.League.

Team K League vs. Foreign Opposition

Vietnam U22

One of the more random K League All-Star matches was the 1-0 loss to Vietnam U22s in 2017. However, it was part of celebrations marking 25 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and South Korea (1992–2017), and a preparation match for the U22 Vietnam team ahead of the SEA Games in Malaysia.

The Vietnam U22 lineup included standout players such as Nguyễn Công Phượng, Lương Xuân Trường, Nguyễn Tuấn Anh, Hà Đức Chinh, and Nguyễn Văn Toàn, all current regulars for the full Vietnam national team. The only goal came in the 70th minute, via Nguyễn Văn Toàn. The K League All‑Stars squad featured the likes of Lee Keun‑ho, Kim Shin‑wook, Yeom Ki‑hun, and Kim Yong‑dae.

Korean media and fans were critical, though. Many labeled the All‑Stars’ performance as lackluster and lacking intensity, while Vietnam’s U22 squad earned significant accolades for showing more cohesion and determination. Hwang Sun‑hong, who had managed the All‑Stars, later described feeling ashamed but stressed the importance of global exposure for K League.

K League vs. European Clubs

The very first of these matches pitted K League All-Stars against Barcelona in 2010. This was a Barca side that had Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Eric Abidal, and Dani Alves in its ranks.

The match ended 5-2 to Barca with Messi and Ibrahimovic among the scorers for the Catalans, while Choi Sung-kuk and Lee Dong-gook scored for K League.

After years without a marquee mid-season exhibition, the 2019 match was organized to generate excitement around the league by pitting the K League’s top fan‑voted stars against Serie A giants and global football powerhouses, Juventus. The draw of facing a big European club was seen as a commercial opportunity and a way to elevate the brand of K League both regionally and internationally.

Despite contractual assurances that Cristiano Ronaldo would play a minimum of 45 minutes and attend a fan meeting, Juventus never fielded him—he remained on the bench due to alleged muscle fatigue. This led to widespread disappointment and strong backlash from both fans and the K League, who demanded apologies and asserted contractual breaches.

Coupang Play Series

With the pandemic shelving any further mid-season friendlies with Europe's elite, Coupang Play revived the concept in 2022, aiming to rapidly grow its user base by investing heavily in live sports. After securing broadcasting rights to La Liga, Bundesliga, and domestic K League games, the Series was introduced as a marquee annual event to attract new viewers and deepen membership engagement.

Since 2022, fans in Korea have been treated to not just a match between a K League XI, but also a friendly between two European clubs with Spurs facing Sevilla in 2022, Manchester City facing Atletico Madrid in 2023, and Bayern Munich going up against Tottenham in 2024. Team K League has had mixed fortunes since being part of the Coupang Play Series, with two defeats and two losses.