Lee Dong-guk receives the BrandLaureate Sports Icon Leadership Award

Lee Dong-guk, technical director of Yongin FC, received the BrandLaureate Sports Icon Leadership Award from The World Brands Foundation (TWBF). The ceremony was held on January 28 at the Majestic Hotel grand ballroom in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, before some 1,000 figures from global business, government and sport.

The BrandLaureate Awards honor individuals, companies and institutions recognized for brand value and leadership, organized since 2005 by the Singapore-based non-profit TWBF. To date roughly 500 individuals and 2,500 companies across about 80 countries have been recognized. Past recipients include sports stars such as Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods and Lionel Messi, as well as Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs, Nobel laureate Robert Engle, FIFA and the Seoul Metropolitan Government; Korean recipients include Ahn Sung-ki (2021) and Park Hang-seo (2024).

The foundation described Lee as “an iconic striker who set the K League’s all-time scoring record and led Jeonbuk Hyundai’s golden era,” citing 33 goals in 105 international caps, appearances at the 1998 and 2010 World Cups, and leadership he continues to show on the field after retirement.

TWBF’s Dr. KK Johan and BrandLaureate Korea’s Dr. Doryan Ahn noted Lee scored 9.3 in IRO’s brand review, calling him an iconic ace who has been a K League top scorer, MVP and scoring champion, and saying his role as Yongin FC technical director extends his brand leadership.

Lee said football is his life and an ongoing journey, and that the award belongs not to him alone but to the teammates and fans who shared the path — pledging to share his experience with the next generation.

He received a 24K gold trophy, a Swarovski plaque and a work by the painter Kim Ki-chang; his signature and donated items will be permanently registered at the BrandLaureate exhibition hall alongside memorabilia from Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Alex Ferguson. Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il, the club owner, congratulated him, saying his expertise and leadership had earned international recognition.