Son Heung-min, what the hell are you... Son Heung-min chose to go to the U.S. as he is about to join LA FC. To adapt to the 2026 North-China World Cup!

Aug 04, 2025

South Korean captain Son Heung-min. Sports Chosun DB

Son Heung-min is being rinsed against Tottenham and Newcastle at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 3rd. Sangam = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.08.03/

"It could be the last World Cup…" The biggest environment was where we could put everything into the World Cup."

At Tottenham Hotspur, Son Heung-min (33) grew from 'boy' to 'man'. It's not just that. It has evolved from a 'Korean soccer rising star' to a 'Korean captain', a true pillar of the national team.

Son Heung-min has always valued the honor of the national team and has done his best to perform well in line with the Taegeuk mark. Perhaps it is because of this devoted attitude that it has the absolute support of Korean soccer fans.

Even in preparing for the final years of his career, Son Heung-min did not lose his mind for 'Korean soccer'. Leaving behind his 10-year history at Tottenham, it turned out that Son Heung-min's top priority in finding a new team was surprisingly a team that could prepare well for the 2026 World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. This is what he himself revealed.

Son Heung-min said at an official press conference held at TWO IFC in Yeouido, Seoul on the 2nd, `It didn't seem like an easy decision. This summer, I decided to leave the team (Tottenham). I felt like I had to say something about this"I made a shocking announcement.

사진=토트넘

Son Heung-min then said "It was one of the most difficult decisions while playing soccer. I'm also proud of being in a team for 10 years while playing soccer. "I want to start over with a new motivation in a new environment. When I first came here 10 years ago, I was a boy who was not good at English. Now I'm leaving because I'm a man. I think there's a good time to say goodbye, too. It's hard, but I'm leaving at a good time. I hope everyone understands this" he said.

With this, Son said a beautiful goodbye to Tottenham. Son Heung-min, who left Bayer Leverkusen in Germany to join Tottenham in the summer of 2015, made his name in Tottenham's history with 173 goals and 101 assists in a total of 454 games over the next decade.

During this period, he won the FIFA (International Football Federation) Puskas Award, four EPL Player of the Month Awards, and nine best footballers in Asia, and became the first Asian player to win the English Premier League (EPL) top scorer in the 2021-2022 season. In addition, he made his name in the club's history as Tottenham captain, who led the team to the Europa League title in 2024-2025 and lifted the trophy for the first time in 17 years since Redley King in 2008. It was a perfect journey to be called the "Tottenham Legend".

Son Heung-min greets fans at the match between Tottenham and Newcastle at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 3rd. Sangam = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.08.03/

Son Heung-min, who chose to say goodbye in the `best position', played his last game for Tottenham in a pre-season friendly against Newcastle United at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 3rd. Son Heung-min, who started with the captain's armband, had a 'Goodbye' on the ground for 65 minutes. When he was replaced, he received a standing ovation from the crowd and the respect of all the players on the ground.

Now Son is about to mark the second half of his career with his new team. The new team is almost certain to be LA FC, the Major League Soccer (MLS).

The match between Tottenham and Newcastle at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 3rd, Son Heung-min, was replaced in the second half and is being seen off by his teammates. Sangam = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.08.03/

European football transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano said Son Heung-min has already agreed to a contract with LAFC and is going to the U.S. to mark the end of his career. He said on his SNS page that "an oral agreement has been reached between all parties. Son Heung-min is ready to complete his MLS transfer. Son Heung-min has not returned to England with the Tottenham squad and is waiting to sign the papers with LAFC" he said.

LA FC reportedly poured all of the team's capabilities into recruiting Son Heung-min.

The BBC and Give Me Sports, a soccer media outlet, are expected to break the record for the highest transfer fee ever in MLS if Son Heung-min moves to LA FC. LA FC has prepared a transfer fee of up to 20 million pounds (about 36.8 billion won). This is the highest MLS amount in February this year, exceeding $22 million (about 30.4 billion won) when Emmanuel Latteras moved to Atlanta United,' the report said.

In addition, he is expected to receive an annual salary comparable to that of Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), the highest salary in MLS. There are predictions that it will be in the top three MLS annual salary rankings.

However, the key reason why Son Heung-min decided to go to LA FC was not this kind of money factor. Son Heung-min had 'South Korean national soccer team' in mind until the end. The decisive reason for going to LA FC was to adjust to the environment and increase performance at the '2026 North-China World Cup' site next year.

스포츠조선 DB

This is what Son Heung-min himself said at the press conference held on the 2nd. When asked about the criteria for finding a new team after leaving Tottenham, Son Heung-min said, `The World Cup was the most important thing. I think I should be able to put everything into it because it could be my last World Cup," he replied.

After all, Son Heung-min was not shaken by the temptation of money offered by LA FC. Rather, he chose LAFC as a preliminary stepping stone to burn all his capabilities on the final World Cup stage as 'Korea Captain'. Son Heung-min is a permanent captain of the Republic of Korea no matter which team he belongs to.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.