South Korean defender Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) has been recognized as the world's best defender in 2023, with the highest position among defenders in the Ballon d'Or rankings.

Kim was honored at the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France, on Monday (Jan. 31), where he was ranked 22nd out of 30 finalists.

The 2023 Ballon d'Or awards, which recognize the best performances by soccer players around the world over the past year, have finally arrived, and South Korean defender Kim Min-jae was rewarded for his efforts last season by receiving the most votes among defenders.

In his first season with SSC Napoli after joining from Turkkiye Fenerbahçe last season, Kim immediately established himself as the first-choice center back and was a key member of the title-winning squad. In total, he made 52 appearances on the season, scoring two goals and providing two assists to help Napoli reach the top of the league for the first time in 33 years since the 1989/90 season. 카지노사이트가이드

At the time, everyone was impressed with Kim's performance and achievements at Napoli. When Kim joined Napoli, no one expected him to become a world-class defender.

However, Kim proved his worth with his performances. At first, he was thought to be a replacement for Kalidou Koulibaly's departure to Chelsea, but he quickly won the hearts of the Napoli public with his performances, even surpassing Koulibaly.

In his first season with the club, there was no adjustment period, as he was immediately thrust into the first-team center back role, where he and partner Amir Rahmani anchored the Napoli backline. Kim showed his dominance in the air, his pace, and his ability to build up well. He was the perfect defender for Luciano Spalletti's style of play at Napoli, which was to be on the attacking end of the field.

Kim made 35 league appearances, 30 of which were full-time. A mere replacement for his predecessor, Kalidou Koulibaly, Minjae seamlessly filled the void, conquering the Italian scene within a year. Even the most powerful attackers were no match for him. After shutting down some of the league's best attackers, Kim was named the best defender of the 2022/23 season in Italy's Serie A, the home of defensive football, and was named to the team of the year alongside teammates Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Hvitsa Kvartachelia, and Victor Osimhen.

Kim's performance helped Napoli lift the league title for the first time in 33 years, since the 1989/90 season when club legend Diego Maradona played.

They also won the UEFA Champions League. They topped their group and reached the round of 16 after a tricky schedule that included Liverpool and Ajax. Although they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by AC Milan, it was a successful season for the club as they reached the highest point in their history.

A number of teams were in the running for Kim Min-jae. Premier League giants Manchester City and Manchester United, as well as Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich, were all interested. Ultimately, Bayern Munich paid Napoli's €50 million ($71.4 billion) buyout clause to secure Kim.

After his move to Munich, Kim continued to perform well and was honored in September by France Football, the French football publication that organizes the Ballon d'Or, as one of the 30 finalists for the 2023 Ballon d'Or, based on his outstanding performance at Napoli. This is Kim's first Ballon d'Or nomination, and he is the only Asian player to make the list.

The French publication L'Equipe outlined the reasons behind the nomination, saying, "Kim Min-jae was selected as one of the 30 finalists for the Ballon d'Or because he made his predecessor, Kalidou Koulibaly, forget with his aerial prowess and first-time build-ups at Napoli before joining Bayern Munich this summer."

With South Korea national soccer team captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) becoming the Premier League's top scorer last year and breaking the record for the highest ranking of an Asian player in the 2022 Ballon d'Or at No. 11, attention has turned to where Kim will land on the shortlist for the second year in a row.

In the final rankings, which were released before the top 10 were announced, Kim was ranked 22nd for the 2023 Ballon d'Or, the highest ranking for a center back, as fellow defender Gbadiol was ranked 25th and Dias 30th.

When Kim Min-jae was ranked 22nd, 'L'Equipe' said, "Kim Min-jae became the fourth Korean player to reach the Ballon d'Or rankings," and explained the background of the ranking by saying, "The current Bayern Munich defender played a big role in helping Napoli win the Italian championship title last season." Prior to Kim, Seol Ki-hyun, who was playing for Anderlecht in Belgium in 2002, Park Ji-sung (Manchester United) in 2005, and Son Heung-min raised the profile of Korean soccer with two Ballon d'Or wins in 2019 and 2022.

Kim Min-jae, who was recognized as the world's best defender, was reportedly absent from the ceremony. According to Germany's Sport1, not only did Kim miss the ceremony, but fellow Munich teammates Harry Kane and Jamal Moussaoui, who were also shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or, decided not to attend due to club commitments.

All three players were invited to attend the ceremony, but chose not to travel to Paris, France, ahead of the match as Munich is set to face German third division club FC Saarbrücken in the second round of the 2023/24 German Football Federation (DFB-Pokal) Cup on Nov. 2 at 4:45 a.m. KST.