Kim Min-jae
김민재
#4 · Defender · age 29 · (VC)
First-choice CB at Bayern; widely viewed as one of the world's top defenders
93
WC26 rating
- Recent form
- 56
- Career peak
- 78
- League level
- 89
- Competition pedigree
- 98
- International pedigree
- 95
- Longevity
- 64
Independent rating — league strength (Opta-anchored) × competition tier × position-normalized output. Not affiliated with EA or FIFA.
Career by season
Source: transfermarkt · fetched 2026-05-29
Kim Min-jae is the player who lets Hong Myung-bo’s tactical plan exist. A Bayern Munich centre-back operating at a level no Korean defender has reached before — and his international form has matched it — Kim is the team’s defensive backbone and a leader inside the back four.
His 2025-26 was complicated by the arrival of Jonathan Tah and the established Upamecano partnership at Bayern, leaving him rotational rather than first-choice. But his individual ratings stayed elite. Korea will go as far in this World Cup as Kim takes them on dead-ball moments and in 1v1 duels against the world’s best forwards.
Strengths
- Aerial duels and headers
- Last-line pace and recovery
- Tackling and 1v1 defending
- Passing out of pressure
Recent form
Started 19 of Bayern's 33 league matches in their 2025-26 Bundesliga title-winning campaign; rotational alongside Tah and Upamecano, but a top-rated performer (FotMob 7.39 average).
Was nicknamed 'The Monster' by Italian media at Napoli for his physical dominance — a label that has followed him through his entire European career.