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Son Heung‑min of Los Angeles FC, headed to his fourth World Cup, joined coach Hong Myung‑bo’s squad on the 25th (local time).
After starting for LAFC in a home match the day before, Son flew to Salt Lake City, Utah — where Hong’s pre-camp is based — and checked into the national team hotel around 11 p.m.
Asia’s all-time leading scorer and one of South Korea’s biggest stars, Son linked up with the national team to pursue the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America.
Son and goalkeeper Kim Seung‑gyu (Tokyo) are now poised to make four consecutive World Cup appearances.
The Korean record for World Cup appearances currently stands at four, shared by coach Hong Myung‑bo, Daejeon Hana Citizen boss Hwang Sun‑hong and goalkeeper coach Lee Woon‑jae.
Hong is the only one who actually played in all four tournaments; if Son gets minutes in this World Cup, he’ll join Hong in that distinction.
It’s fair to say Son’s finishing hasn’t matched the height of his shared Golden Boot season and the 2022 World Cup, and his edge in front of goal has cooled somewhat.
In LAFC’s win over the Seattle Sounders the previous day (1‑0), Son registered seven shots but couldn’t find the net.
He went scoreless in LAFC’s first 13 matches this season, yet he has been a major creator — credited with nine assists when MLS secondary assists are included.
Still, Coach Hong trusts Son as a big‑game performer who has delivered on the World Cup stage.
Son has three World Cup goals, tying him with Ahn Jung‑hwan and Park Ji‑sung as Korea’s leading scorers at the tournament; one more would put him alone atop that list.
He opened his World Cup account against Algeria at the 2014 tournament in Brazil and scored twice at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
In 2018 he curled his trademark strike to score against Mexico, then capped a late, mazy run with the winning goal against Germany to complete the “Miracle of Kazan.”
In the final group match against Portugal at the Qatar World Cup, Son’s precise pass set up Hwang Hee‑chan’s match‑winner.
Thanks to Son’s penetrating pass through defenders, South Korea advanced to the Round of 16 at an away World Cup for only the second time in its history.
Given his role this season as a primary creator for LAFC, Son could also help create chances for younger teammates at this World Cup, like Oh Hyun‑gyu (Beşiktaş) and Cho Kyu‑sung (Midtjylland).
Before the Seattle match Son said, “I know many people like it when I score a lot, and it’s natural that people talk about that. But football isn’t an individual sport. I’m thinking more about how my teammates can play better than about my own scoring.”
Son’s arrival pushed Hong’s squad closer to full strength.
Earlier, nine players — including K League standouts and those who finished their seasons early in the English Championship — flew out on the 18th to join the main squad and have been training at the pre‑camp.
European‑based players then began arriving one by one, including Jens Castrop (Mönchengladbach) from the Bundesliga and midfield lynchpin Hwang In‑beom (Feyenoord), who had been rehabbing domestically.
On the day Son arrived, Cho Kyu‑sung (Midtjylland), Park Jin‑seop (Zhejiang) and Hwang Hee‑chan (Wolverhampton) also joined, bringing 24 of the 26 Taegeuk Warriors together.
Defender Kim Min‑jae (Bayern Munich), the “iron pillar,” will arrive on the 27th, and Lee Kang‑in of Paris Saint‑Germain — fresh off a Champions League final — is due on June 1; when they’re both in camp, the squad will be complete.
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