SEOUL: Former Manchester United and England star Jesse Lingard signed off with a goal in his final game for FC Seoul before bidding a tearful farewell to South Korean football after two seasons.
The 32-year-old former England international scored the opener in Seoul’s 1-1 draw at home to Melbourne City in the AFC Champions League on Wednesday night, having announced days before it would be his last appearance for the club.
Lingard, who made 60 appearances for FC Seoul, broke down in tears after the match as he watched a video on the big screen which paid tribute to “Our beloved captain.”
“Your name and legacy will always be remembered in the history of our club,” it said. “Seoul will always be your home. Thank you, our captain.”
Lingard, who joined the club in February last year, addressed and applauded the home fans before hugging his team-mates during a lap of honor.
He said on the eve of the game that he had spent “a happy two years” in South Korea.
“I’ve learned a lot, I’ve become more mature, I’ve had a lot of responsibility this year being captain,” said the attacking midfielder, who played 32 times for England, including in the 2018 World Cup semifinal.
“I can leave South Korea more mature, I believe.”
Lingard coolly slotted home in the 31st minute to put Seoul in front and celebrated with a Michael Jackson-style moonwalk.
Melbourne equalized midway through the second half.
Ex-Man United star Lingard scores on tearful farewell to South Korea
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Ex-Man United star Lingard scores on tearful farewell to South Korea
- Former Manchester United and England star Jesse Lingard signed off with a goal in his final game for FC Seoul before bidding a tearful farewell to South Korean football after two seasons
Pakistan face arch-rivals India today in blockbuster T20 World Cup clash in Colombo
- Cricket contest takes place amid surging political tensions between India and Pakistan after their May 2025 clash
- Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav says team will decide whether or not to shake hands with Pakistani cricketers
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan take on defending champions and arch-rivals India today, Sunday, in Colombo in a highly anticipated T20 World Cup 2026 clash between the two sides.
The Group A fixture between the two sides will not just be important for the on-field cricket action but also because of the political tensions between the neighbors. India and Pakistan engaged in a brief military confrontation in May 2025 which came to a halt after Washington brokered a ceasefire.
However, political tensions spilled over onto the cricket field when Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav opted out of shaking hands with his Pakistani counterpart before the toss at their Asia Cup encounter last year in September. The Indian team refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts in all three matches of the tournament, triggering a strong protest from Pakistan.
Tensions surged again after Pakistan’s government announced earlier this month it would not allow its team to play against India in the World Cup in solidarity with Bangladesh. The South Asian country was replaced with Scotland after it refused to play its matches in India due to security reasons. Pakistan criticized the move and announced boycotting the Feb. 15 match against India. However, Islamabad later took back its decision to boycott the match after negotiations with the International Cricket Council.
“The game should be played in real spirit, the way it has been played since it started,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday. “The rest is up to them (India), what they want to do.”
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav did not commit whether his team will shake hands with Pakistan or not on Sunday.
“Why are you highlighting that?” Yadav asked reporters. “We are here to play cricket. We will play good cricket. We will take all those calls tomorrow. We will see tomorrow.”
Political and military tensions have meant the two teams have not played a bilateral series for years.
India has not traveled to Pakistan since 2008 and Pakistan visited India for the 50-over World Cup in 2023 but has since played ICC tournaments at neutral venues.
India has defeated Pakistan 12 times in the 16 T20 games they have played. They also have an impressive 6-1 record in the eight T20 World Cup matches since the first edition in 2007, with one being tied.
“We don’t have a good record against them in World Cups,” Agha admitted. “But whenever you come to play a new match, it’s a new day and you have to play good cricket to win.
“You can’t change history. You can learn from it. We learned from it and we’ll try to do a good performance tomorrow and win the match.”
Both sides have won their two fixtures so far, with India beating the USA and Namibia while Pakistan have defeated the Netherlands and the USA as well.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Eight stage of the World Cup.
The match is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time.
