KB News Desk
South Korea national team midfielder Hwang In-beom has completed a move to Portuguese Primeira Liga powerhouse FC Porto.
Porto announced Monday on its official website that Hwang had signed a three-year contract with an option for an additional year. The transfer fee was set at 4.5 million euros ($5.2 million), and he will wear the club’s No. 16 jersey.
According to Portuguese media, the deal includes up to 500,000 euros in performance-related bonuses, which could raise the total transfer fee to 5 million euros.
Hwang arrived in Porto on Saturday, completed his medical examination and was officially unveiled by the club on Monday.
He becomes only the second South Korean player to play for Porto, following Suk Hyun-jun, who joined the club in January 2016.
Born in Daejeon in 1996, Hwang made his professional debut with Daejeon Hana Citizen in the K League in 2015. After helping South Korea win the gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, he earned a move abroad by joining Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer in 2019.
He transferred to Russia’s Rubin Kazan in 2020 before moving to Greece’s Olympiacos. In 2023, he signed with Serbian powerhouse Red Star Belgrade (Crvena zvezda).
After winning the Serbian league title and competing in the UEFA Champions League with Red Star, Hwang established himself as one of the club’s standout performers. He moved to Dutch club Feyenoord in 2024 before completing his transfer to Porto.
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Hwang delivered a standout performance in South Korea’s opening Group A match against the Czech Republic, scoring one goal and setting up another in a 2-1 victory. Porto, impressed by his display, subsequently made its move to sign the midfielder.
Hwang’s new club, FC Porto, is one of Portugal’s most successful teams, having won the Primeira Liga title 31 times. The club has also captured the UEFA Champions League twice (1986-87 and 2003-04) and the UEFA Europa League twice (2002-03 and 2010-11).
Hwang’s arrival in Portugal also sets up a potential all-South Korean matchup against midfielder Lee Hyun-joo, who plays for FC Arouca.
In an interview with Porto, Hwang named Park Ji-sung as his soccer idol.
“My father played football every weekend when I was growing up, so I naturally became interested in the sport. I just started kicking and playing with the ball, and before I knew it, I had fallen in love with football.”
He said his father’s love of the game inspired him to begin playing soccer at a young age.
(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)
