Ulsan: Ulsan HD FC secured a 3-1 victory against Gangwon FC in their 2026 South Korean football season opener, marking a successful debut for their new head coach, Kim Hyun-seog. Brazilian forward Yago Cariello, returning to Ulsan, played a crucial role by scoring twice at the Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan. This victory follows Ulsan's previous struggles in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Elite tournament.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Yago, who previously played for Gangwon FC and had stints with Ulsan before being loaned to Zhejiang FC, made a significant impact by scoring the first goal of the new K League 1 season in the 19th minute. He further extended Ulsan's lead during first-half added time. Lee Hui-gyun sealed the win with a goal in the 86th minute, while Gangwon FC's Abdallah Hleihel managed a late consolation goal four minutes into added time.

Ulsan, after a challenging 2025 season with two coaching changes, aims for a strong comeback under Kim Hyun-seog's leadership. The team finished ninth last season, narrowly avoiding relegation after three consecutive league titles.

The opening day of the K League 1 season also saw FC Seoul defeat Incheon United 2-1 at Incheon Football Stadium. Song Min-kyu scored his first goal for FC Seoul, followed by a goal from Cho Young-wook. Incheon United, returning to the top tier after a season in K League 2, scored through Stefan Mugosa's penalty in added time.

In another match, Gimcheon Sangmu FC and Pohang Steelers drew 1-1 at Gimcheon Stadium. Go Jae-hyeon scored early for Gimcheon, with Jakob Tranziska equalizing for Pohang in the 55th minute, marking his first K League goal.