Son Heung-min ends 4th World Cup with another group stage exit
Korea's Son Heung-min before the 2026 World Cup Group A football match between Korea and South Africa at the Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, Mexico, Wednesday (local time) / Reuters-Yonhap
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — If this indeed was the final FIFA World Cup for Son Heung-min, the longtime Korean captain would certainly have hoped for a better ending.
The lasting image for the 33-year-old talisman at this tournament may be the one of him sitting on the bench during the first half of what turned out be a 1-0 loss to South Africa in the final Group A match on Wednesday.
The defeat left Korea in third place in their group with three points from a win and two losses. They still harbored hopes of sneaking into the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-place teams, but those were dashed Saturday, the last day of group play, when the Taegeuk Warriors got pushed out of the top eight mix.
Son finished with no goal in his two and a half matches at the tournament.
Son came into his fourth World Cup facing persistent questions about his diminishing skills. He had zero goals in 13 Major League Soccer (MLS) matches for Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) prior to the big tournament -- less than a year after the former Tottenham Hotspur star took the U.S.-based league by storm with 12 goals in 13 matches in all competitions.
As if to silence his detractors, Son grabbed a brace in Korea's 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in a World Cup tuneup match at the end of May. But Son failed to duplicate his goal-scoring ways in the matches that mattered.
Son was subbed out in the 69th minute of a 2-1 win over Czechia in Korea's first Group A match on June 11. He was credited with six shot attempts but only one of them was on target.
Son played even less against Mexico the following week, with head coach Hong Myung-bo subbing him out for Oh Hyeon-gyu in the 57th minute.
Then against South Africa last Wednesday, with a knockout berth at stake, Hong held Son out of the starting lineup. Son had started his first 12 World Cup matches, dating back to 2014, but watched for 45 minutes as Korea failed to solve the South African defense.
Hong explained that he wanted a fresh version of Son in the second half against a tired South African defense. Son came on right at the restart but he couldn't prevent the loss that would send his team packing.
Son remains tied for the all-time Korean lead in World Cup goals with three. Two former players, Ahn Jung-hwan and Park Ji-sung, also have three apiece. Son is also tied with three former players, including Hong, for the most World Cup tournament appearances by a Korean player with four.
It remains unclear if Son will get another chance to move into the sole possession of the lead in both categories.
Addressing speculation about his national team future during a press conference before the Czechia match, Son said, "I have never once said this is my last World Cup. The most important thing is to do my job. People can say whatever they want, and I will choose my path wisely."
In 2014, Korea, also coached by Hong then, had a draw and two losses to finish last in their group. Four years later, Son scored in a stunning 2-0 upset of the reigning champions Germany in the final group match but it still wasn't enough to send Korea to the knockouts.
In 2022, Son assisted Hwang Hee-chan's last-gasp goal that clinched a 2-1 win over Portugal in their group stage finale, as the Taegeuk Warriors qualified for the last 16 in dramatic fashion.
Son was at the peak of his powers then, just months removed from becoming the first Asian player to win the Premier League Golden Boot. But Korea were hammered by Brazil 4-1, after conceding all four goals in the first half.
The group stage elimination this summer is another wasted opportunity for Korea with one of their greatest players ever in tow.
Son is the most capped male player for Korea with 147 and the country's second leading scorer with 56, two back of former star Cha Bum-kun.