Son vows to continue nat’l team career for fans
In the aftermath of South Korea’s latest World Cup qualifying match Thursday night, captain Son Heung-min admitted he had recently contemplated retiring from international play.
But Son said he decided to continue on with the national team because he wanted to honor a promise with his supporters.
“Playing for the national team is a promise between myself and fans,” Son said, following South Korea’s 1-1 draw with Thailand in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Seoul World Cup Stadium. “I absolutely want to honor that. I am going to keep my head down and play hard. And I hope I can grow into a stronger person, so that I won’t ever think about quitting again.”
Son, 31, reached the verge of ending his international career at the end of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Qatar last month. South Korea lost to Jordan 2-0 in the semifinals, as they failed to end their 64-year title drought. The elimination cost head coach Jurgen Klinsmann his job, and the national team was later embroiled in a series of off-field issues, including a scuffle between Son and his teammate Lee Kang-in over a game of table tennis before the semifinal match.
Right after the Jordan loss, and before his incident with Lee was revealed, Son hinted at ending his international career. He later told his Premier League club, Tottenham Hotspur, that the week following the Asian Cup was one of the most difficult ones of his life.
“I’ve never once taken my spot on the national team for granted. I’ve felt grateful and honored every time,” Son said. “But if I had thought only about myself, I think I would have quit.”
After speaking with some former players, including past national team captains Park Ji-sung and Ki Sungyueng, Son said he was able to join the national team this month with a renewed focus.
“I asked them so many questions and sought their advice, and they gave me honest answers,” Son said. “And I think very few players have been as beloved as I have been.”
Son can now resume his climb up South Korea’s leaderboard in caps and goals. He was the team’s lone goal scorer Thursday night and he sits alone in third place with 45 goals, five back of the national team’s caretaker manager, Hwang Sun-hong.
And if Son plays the return leg against Thailand on Tuesday in Bangkok as expected, he will move into the sole possession of fourth place with 125 caps. Former stars Cha Bum-kun and Hong Myung-bo are tied for the most caps in South Korean football with 136.
Son said he and the rest of the team have fully put their post-Asian Cup saga behind them. Lee has apologized to his teammates and he received a warm reception from the sellout crowd of nearly 65,000 during player introduction.
Lee came off the bench about 17 minutes into the second half, and Son said he enjoyed playing with the 23-year-old midfielder.
“Kang-in tried to change the complexion of the match after coming in as a sub, and I think he did his job,” Son said. “I could feel he was taking another step forward as a player. It’s fun to play with him.”
That South Korea, ranked 22nd, couldn’t get past 101st-ranked Thailand sent fans home disappointed, but Son insisted there was still much to like about his team’s effort.
“The most positive element of tonight’s match was that we tried to play together as a team,” Son said. “We needed to show people that every player, from those on the pitch down to guys sitting on the bench, would try to become one. I want to thank my teammates for doing exactly that.”
Playing for the national team is a promise between myself and fans. I absolutely want
to honor that.