Son levels South Korea's all-time scoring mark at 58 goals against Uruguay

'I didn't feel the ball touch my foot — it feels a bit unsettling'

Son Heung-min, captain of the South Korean national team, rushes to the center circle after scoring a consolation goal during a friendly match against Uruguay at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Monday. [Yonhap]
Son Heung-min, captain of the South Korean national team, rushes to the center circle after scoring a consolation goal during a friendly match against Uruguay at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Monday. [Yonhap]

Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) scored his 58th international goal Monday to draw level with legendary former national team head coach Cha Bum-kun as South Korea's all-time leading scorer among male players. The goal also pushed his combined tally across club and national team duty to 300 in official competition. Yet Son himself was far from certain the goal was his. "I don't think it was my goal," he said cautiously after the match.

Son netted the consolation strike in the 80th minute of a friendly against Uruguay at Seoul World Cup Stadium, with South Korea trailing 0-4 at the time.

Lee Kang-in (Atletico Madrid) delivered a cross from the right, and Son extended his right foot inside the penalty area. The ball rolled into the left side of the Uruguayan net.

Whether Son's foot actually made contact with the ball remained unclear, causing confusion over who should be credited with the goal. The Korea Football Association confirmed it as Son's after consulting with the referee and tournament officials. Some observers argued the ball grazed his foot and changed trajectory; others contended it did not touch him at all.

With the goal, Son's international record stands at 58 goals in 149 appearances, matching the South Korean men's all-time scoring record held by former head coach Cha.

Son made his international debut in a friendly against Syria in December 2010 and scored his first international goal against India at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup the following January. Over the next 16 years he became the face of the national team, appearing at four consecutive World Cups from the 2014 Brazil tournament through the 2026 North and Central America edition.

The goal also marked another milestone: adding his 58 international goals to the 242 he has scored at club level brings his career total in official competition to 300. His club tally breaks down as 20 goals for Hamburg, 29 for Bayer Leverkusen, 173 for Tottenham Hotspur and 20 for LAFC.

After the match, Son shook his head when asked about the disputed strike. "First of all, I don't think it was my goal," he said. "There are times during a game when you're not sure, but I didn't feel the ball touch my foot." He added: "If this goal ends up being credited to me, I think I'll feel a bit unsettled about it."

Son was more focused on the 1-4 defeat than on the record. "It's really disappointing, and I don't want to accept a loss like this — but I think that's also part of football," he said. "It was a match that showed why Uruguay are a strong side."

South Korea under interim head coach Roberto Moreno, who had beaten Ecuador 3-0 on Thursday, fell to Uruguay 1-4 to finish the window with one win and one loss. The national team next faces Venezuela in Ulsan on Friday before taking on Uzbekistan in Yongin on Oct. 6.


yjc@heraldcorp.com