Son Heung-min becomes most-capped male player in S. Korean football

LAFC forward Son Heung-min, right, celebrates after scoring a goal against St. Louis CITY SC in the first half at Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri, Sept. 28. REUTERS-Yonhap /Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

Son Heung-min became the most-capped male player in South Korean football history Friday.

Son earned his 137th cap by getting into the starting lineup in a friendly match against Brazil at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Son broke a three-way tie with his current national team head coach Hong Myung-bo and former forward Cha Bum-kun.

Son is also chasing down the men's goals record held by Cha. Son is sitting at 53 goals, five back of Cha. Son has netted a goal in each of his past two matches.

He has been on fire with Los Angeles Football Club since joining the Major League Soccer side in early August. He has eight goals and three assists in nine matches, and scored seven goals during a recent four-match scoring streak.

Son, 33, made his first senior international match as an 18-year-old on Dec. 30, 2010, in a friendly against Syria. He has represented South Korea at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, and the 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cups.

Ji So-yun leads the women's national team with 169 caps and 74 goals.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) will celebrate Son's accomplishment before the start of the team's next match, against Paraguay at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Cha will be on hand to congratulate Son on passing him on the leaderboard, according to the KFA.

In Friday's starting lineup, Son will be joined by playmaking midfielder and his close friend Lee Jae-sung, who collected his 100th cap to become the 16th South Korean man to join the FIFA Century Club.

Jo Hyeon-woo will start in goal, with Kim Ju-sung, Kim Min-jae and Cho Yu-min lining up as center backs in Hong's back-three formation. The three will be flanked by wingbacks Lee Tae-seok and Seol Young-woo on either side.

Hwang In-beom and Paik Seung-ho will be the two defensive midfielders. Lee Jae-sung and Lee Kang-win will be the attacking midfielders behind Son.

Brazil's starting lineup will feature Real Madrid teammates Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo up front, with another Real Madrid player, Eder Militao, on defense. Casemiro of Manchester United will be their captain, and he will be joined in the midfield by Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle United.