The story of a young boy who overcame childhood cancer to pursue his soccer dreams once again is touching the hearts of fans across the nation.
On the evening of the 19th, Suwon World Cup Stadium hosted a special exhibition match featuring retired legends from the English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United and former stars of the K League club Suwon Samsung. The event drew massive attention with the return of Park Ji-sung to the pitch, alongside former teammates Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, and Ryan Giggs. Suwon’s roster was equally illustrious, featuring national team icons Lee Woon-jae, Song Jong-guk, Yeom Ki-hun, and Cho Won-hee. A crowd of 38,027 spectators packed the stadium to witness the historic gathering.
Amidst the star-studded atmosphere, a young boy named Kim Chan-yu appeared at halftime alongside former national team head coach Cha Bum-kun. Kim Chan-yu is a youth player who fought a grueling battle against childhood cancer.
“He was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia,” his mother shared. “After a life-or-death struggle, he found it difficult to adjust to school, and his ankle pain was so severe he couldn’t sleep without a massage.” She added, “Even then, he regained his health by playing soccer for four to five hours a day. He is currently in complete remission.”
In a moving ceremony, Cha Bum-kun personally presented Kim Chan-yu with an OGFC (a team of Manchester United veterans) uniform for an honorary induction. The boy then took a pass from Coach Cha and, just before the second half commenced, dribbled past the entire OGFC squad to score a goal. The stadium erupted as both cheering sections united to chant his name.
The event was organized by ‘Shoot for Love,’ a leading soccer YouTube channel with 1.79 million subscribers. While now a major media platform, the channel began as a campaign to support children with cancer. It was launched by the Seoul-based social enterprise BeKind to connect soccer fans with charitable causes.
Since its 2014 debut, which featured a nationwide penalty kick challenge to raise funds, the campaign has grown globally. It gained momentum as stars like Son Heung-min and Ki Sung-yueng participated and nominated international teammates. Since 2024, the channel has hosted charity matches featuring retired legends to continue its mission.
‘Shoot for Love’ maintains an ongoing partnership with the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation and has donated to organizations such as Good Neighbors and the Korea Pediatric Cancer Foundation. “If everyone who loves soccer shares their hearts, the world will surely change little by little,” the organizers stated.
The invitation for Kim Chan-yu was co-hosted by the nonprofit organization Make-A-Wish. Team leader Kim Mina commented, “We support children battling intractable illnesses so they can gain the courage and hope to overcome their disease by having their wishes come true. That day likely felt like a dream come true for Chan-yu.”
Offering his own words of encouragement to other children facing similar battles, Kim Chan-yu said, “You can get better if you eat well like me and work out hard.”
