Son Heung-min is playing for the first time this year, and CONCACAF's best tournament at the Club World Cup... 12-time league champion 'Honduras strongest' face-off

*This content was translated by AI.

Son Heung-min (34), who has emerged as a sign of Los Angeles FC for the first time in his first season of transfer, will open his first official game in the new year of 2026.

Son Heung-min's team LAFC will face Real España (Honduras) in the first round of the 2026 season's North-China Caribbean Football Association (CONCACAF) Champions Cup at Francisco Morasan Stadium in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, at 12 p.m. on the 18th (Korea time).

This is LAFC's first official match of the 2026 season and Son Heung-min's New Year's Masugul goal challenge. It is the most prestigious club competition in the North-China Caribbean Football Federation Champions Cup region, and the winning team will be eligible to participate in the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup. A total of 27 teams from member countries such as the United States, Mexico and Honduras will participate in the tournament.

LAFC will meet Alahuelense (Costa Rica) in the round of 16 if they win the first and second games.

Immediately after joining LAFC last season, Son Heung-min showed a phenomenal performance and completely changed the constitution of the team. Including nine goals and three assists in 10 regular league games and the playoffs, he showed an overwhelming goal-making ability with 12 goals and four assists in 13 games.

One player completely changed the team. LAFC jumped to third place in the Western Conference with nine wins, four draws and two losses after joining Son Heung-min.

In particular, his teamwork with ace Dennis Buanga has rewritten the history of Major League Soccer (MLS). After joining the team, the two players combined for 18 consecutive goals, breaking the league's record for the most consecutive goals scored. Local media such as "One Football" praised Son Heung-min, saying, "He didn't need time to prove himself to match the record fee," adding, "It's more impressive that he raised the value of his colleagues to the next level than the record proved by numbers."

Its explosive popularity has also been proven. According to LAFC general manager John Torrington, Son Heung-min's uniform was recorded as the most sold uniform in the world in the week after the transfer. The transfer fee of 26.5 million dollars (about 35 billion won) is the highest in the league's history.

Starting with this away trip to Honduras, LAFC will play a forced battle leading to the league's opening match against Inter Miami on the 22nd and the second round of the Champions Cup against Real Spain on the 25th.

Opponent Real Spain is a traditional powerhouse with 12 Honduran league wins. He is currently leading the league with six undefeated games (4 wins and 2 draws). In particular, the goal is guarded by Honduran national goalkeeper Luis Bubba Lopez, who has played for LAFC in 2018. French legend Hugo Lloris and former and current LAFC gatekeeper are also expected to face off.

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*This content was translated by AI.