Korean soccer player Kim Min-jae, who plays for Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga, has been recognized as the best "26-year-old" soccer player in the world.

On the 16th (Korean time), American media outlet ESPN ranked soccer players by age and named the best players in each age group, and Kim Min-jae was the best in the 26-year-old category.

ESPN explained, "The rankings are based on a statistical program that incorporates records such as shots, passes, and goals, as well as all of his impact on the field."

Kim, who was born on Nov. 15, 1996, is 26 years old and beat out a number of big-name players in the same age bracket, including Frenchy De Jong (Barcelona) and Nicolo Varela (Inter Milan).

"It was a tricky process, but it made sense to pick Kim as the best," said ESPN, "He's only been in Europe's big leagues for two seasons, but his impact on his team's success has been huge."

"He has the potential to be one of the best center backs in the world in the next five years."

Alongside Kim, the other players ranked first in their respective age groups were all top stars.

At 20, Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), 23-year-old Elling Holland (Manchester City), 30-year-old Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), and 36-year-old Lionel Messi (Miami) were named the best.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), who is the same age as Son, was recognized in the 31-year-old category. 19가이드03