Son Heung-min's last dance: 'Quarterfinals are the goal'

Son within reach of South Korea's all-time World Cup and international scoring records; quarterfinal run would tie Hong Myung-bo's caps mark

Son Heung-min, captain of the South Korean national team competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, smiles during a training session June 6 at Chivas Valle Verde in Guadalajara, Mexico, the team's base camp. [Yonhap]

The 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America is set to be the last dance for Son Heung-min (33, LAFC), widely regarded as the greatest player in South Korean football history.

Named to head coach Hong Myung-bo's 26-man squad for the tournament, Son will appear at his fourth World Cup, having previously featured at the 2014 Brazil, 2018 Russia and 2022 Qatar editions. That puts him level with Hong, Hwang Sun-hong and Lee Woon-jae as the most-capped South Korean players in World Cup history.

Son has played 10 matches across his three previous World Cup campaigns. Should South Korea reach the quarterfinals and Son play every game, he would draw level with Hong for the most World Cup appearances by a South Korean player.

Son has not explicitly called this his final World Cup, but the math is telling: born July 8, 1992, he is currently 33 and would be 37 by the time the 2030 tournament arrives.

Son has experienced the full range of emotions across his three World Cups. At his first, the 2014 Brazil tournament alongside Hong, he was left in tears after South Korea crashed out in the group stage. Four years later in Russia, he helped engineer one of the competition's great upsets — a 2-0 victory over defending champion Germany, then ranked No. 1 in the world — but South Korea still failed to advance from the group.

Ahead of the Qatar tournament, an orbital fracture suffered in a club match cast doubt on his participation, yet Son played through the pain wearing a protective mask and led South Korea to the round of 16 — the country's first knockout-stage appearance at an away World Cup. He also registered an attacking contribution in each of his three World Cup campaigns, most notably setting up Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) for the decisive 2-1 winner against Portugal in the final group-stage match.

Son has scored three goals in World Cup play, placing him joint-first among South Korean players alongside retired legends Ahn Jung-hwan and Park Ji-sung. He opened his account against Algeria in the third group-stage match at the 2014 Brazil tournament (a 2-4 loss), then added goals against Mexico (a 1-2 loss) and Germany (a 2-0 win) in Russia in 2018. He went scoreless in Qatar, hampered by the lingering effects of his injury.

One more goal in North America would give Son the record outright. He is also closing in on the all-time South Korean men's international scoring record: his 56 goals leave him two behind former national team head coach Cha Bum-kun's mark of 58.

Son Heung-min and his South Korean teammates take part in their first training session after arriving in Mexico, at Chivas Valle Verde in Guadalajara on June 6. [Yonhap]

With Son leading the charge, Hong's side opens Group A play against the Czech Republic on Friday at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. South Korea then faces host nation Mexico at the same venue on June 19, before wrapping up the group stage against South Africa at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey on June 25.

The tournament marks the first World Cup held across three countries — the United States, Canada and Mexico — but South Korea's group assignments keep travel distances short, and the draw is widely considered a favorable one.

Estadio Akron sits 1,571 meters above sea level, posing a challenge for the first two matches. The team has taken steps to adapt, completing a pre-tournament camp in Salt Lake City, Utah, another high-altitude location, and basing themselves in Guadalajara to minimize disruptions.

Hong's side has set its sights on reaching the quarterfinals at an away World Cup for the first time in history. Advancing to the round of 16 — the standard benchmark for South Korean fans — is considered the minimum target. Analysts are cautiously optimistic about a last-16 finish, though most see a quarterfinal run as a significantly steeper climb.

yjc@heraldcorp.com