Son Heung-min's fighting spirit → Declaration of 'Last Dance' at the North-China U.S. World Cup..."The End" drama
Son Heung-min's fighting spirit → Declaration of 'Last Dance' at the North-China U.S. World Cup..."The End" drama
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Captain Son Heung-min (33) shook the Sangambeol just by his presence. It was unfamiliar to see him sitting on the bench, but the decibel reached its peak when his face appeared on the big screen. In fact, he was not physically fit to play on the ground. Fighting spirit with the injury was a special gift for 41,911 players who visited the Sangambeol. Son showed his last strength. It was as if he had an ending credit to celebrate his advance to the World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time.
Hong Myung-bo's preliminary match for the 2026 World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. came to an end on Sunday. Korea beat Kuwait 4-0 in the final match of Group B at the third preliminary match held in Seoul World Cup Stadium on the day. The team achieved unbeaten record (11 wins and five draws) in the World Cup qualifying round for the first time in 16 years since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The team also finished the third preliminary round with No. 1 ranking in Group B (22 points, 6 wins and 4 draws).
Son Heung-min is at the center of history. He made his A-match debut on Dec. 30, 2010. He has lived with the national flag for nearly 15 years. The 18-year-old boy is in his mid-30s. There is a regrettable point. No one can go against time. Son is in his twilight years as an active player. He has played in three World Cups, from the 2014 Brazil World Cup, Russia in 2018 to Qatar in 2022. The 2026 North Korea-China tournament is likely to be the "last dance" for the World Cup.
Son Heung-min also had mixed feelings. "Most people would think it's easy to go to the World Cup because it's the Asian qualifying round, but nothing is easy. We played several final qualifying rounds, but it was our first time to win," Son said. "I want to give credit to all the players who participated in the second and third qualifying rounds. I did it with the mindset that I should not lose, I should show good performance, so I was able to finish it with a good result."
Starting with Lee Kang-in (24, Paris Saint-Germain), young players such as Bae Joon-ho (22, Stoke City), Oh Hyun-kyu (24, Genk), Lee Tae-seok (23, Pohang), Lee Han-beom (23, Mitwillan), and Jeon Jin-woo (26, Jeonbuk) are growing fast. Although it was corrected to an own goal in the match against Kuwait, Jeon Jin-woo opened the door for the first time, Lee Kang-in scored attack points (1 goal-2 assistance) in three consecutive A matches, and Oh Hyun-kyu scored goals in two consecutive matches. Bae Jun-ho, who was additionally selected, responded to coach Hong Myung-bo's call with two assists. Son Heung-min said, "I was proud and proud of the young players for showing good performances. He played his own without being intimidated. I watched it with pride."
The season ended with two consecutive A matches in June. Son rose to the top of the Europa League in the 2024-2025 season, lifting the trophy for the first time since his professional debut. He has become a legend that will remain in Tottenham's history. Having played in 454 matches and recorded 173 goals and 101 assists for Tottenham, Son presented the trophy for the first time in 17 years after winning the League Cup in the 2007-2008 season.
Son Heung-min said, "When I started playing soccer, I achieved all my dreams. Soccer is to win. I only remember WINNER. Even though it was not an easy season this season, I still had the experience that I pursued since I was young. Personally, I think it was a season that I could feel sorry for, but it was a happy season, and I was happy to share this feeling with my fans even though it was late." 메이저사이트
He is at a crossroads of change. Rumors are also circulating that he will be transferred to the Saudi Arabian League. Son Heung-min said, "For now, we have to wait (one year) before signing. We have to wait rather than say anything. Like many people, I am curious about my future. We have to wait and see what will happen in the future. No matter where we are, we have to do our best and try our best."
There is only one year left until the North Korea-China World Cup. Coach Hong Myung-bo aims to achieve "a record of the round of 16 or higher." "I think it will be important to deal with the painful issue during the break for a long time. I didn't have much normal condition this season, but I will prepare better next season," Son said. He played the role of ace, scoring seven goals and one assist in the second qualifying round, and two goals and three assists in the third qualifying round. He also appeared in 134 A-matches and beat goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae (133 matches) to rank third in the category of most A-matches played in Korean soccer. Son's drama is nearing an end.