Melbourne City Denies Jesse Lingard Dream Farewell

Jesse Lingard is set to leave South Korean club FC Seoul

Melbourne City fights back to draw 1-1 with FC Seoul, denying ex-England international Jesse Lingard a winning farewell.

“I'm happy and sad. These two years have been an amazing time for me, I've made friends forever...”

Melbourne City fought hard and managed to snatch a 1-1 draw against FC Seoul in the Asian Champions League Elite, denying Jesse Lingard a winning farewell. The ex-England international had given FC Seoul the lead in the 31st minute, but Melbourne City refused to give up.

Takeshi Kanamori came off the bench and scored the equalizer for Melbourne City with 16 minutes left to play. This draw is a great result for Melbourne City, considering they were facing a tough opponent in FC Seoul.

Lingard's departure from FC Seoul was confirmed earlier this week, and it looks like his time with the club has come to an end. Despite his efforts, Melbourne City managed to deny him a dream farewell win.

“The most important thing is winning and we drew today,” said Lingard. “I felt like we should've won the game, but ⁠they could've won the game. It was a game of two ‌halves.

“I'm happy and sad. These two years have been an amazing time for me, I've made friends forever and the fans have been amazing with me. It's ‍very emotional but I'm ready for the next chapter.”

The former Manchester United forward put his side in front with a cool finish from 12 yards out. Choi Jun's perfect cross from the right touchline set him up for the goal.

Kanamori's right-foot strike in the 74th minute levelled the score, extending Melbourne City's unbeaten run in the competition to four matches. The goal went into the bottom corner of the FC Seoul goal, giving City's fans a reason to cheer.

🇰🇷 Jesse Lingard scored today in his final match for FC Seoul. He opened the scoring as his side drew 1-1 with Melbourne City in the Asian Champions League #ACLElite #SEOvMCY pic.twitter.com/A90h4iAUPl

— English Players Abroad (@EnglishAbroad1) December 10, 2025

Melbourne City now has 10 points from six matches, putting them fourth in the eastern league phase standings. They're one point ahead of FC Seoul, who have the same number of matches played.

Japan's doing well in the league, with Sanfrecce Hiroshima moving up to third. Vissel Kobe and Machida Zelvia are topping the table with 11 points each, thanks to Vissel Kobe's 1-0 win over Shanghai Shenhua.

Hayato Araki scored the only goal of the match in the 78th minute, securing a 1-0 win for Vissel Kobe against Shanghai Shenhua. This result puts Shenhua in a tough spot, dropping them to 11th position with just four points.

The league phase is heating up, and teams are fighting for a spot in the last 16. The top eight finishers in both east and west Asia will advance to the next round in March, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final to be played in Saudi Arabia in April.

🚨 Jesse Lingard, available as free agent after he’s agreed on contract termination at Seoul FC. pic.twitter.com/KcL7Rdsfpt

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 5, 2025