Son Heung-min's Touching Tribute to Messi "I'm lucky to be in the same generation."

*This content was translated by AI.

Son Heung-min (34) of Los Angeles FC, who faced Lionel Messi (39, Inter Miami) for the first time on the Major League Soccer (MLS) stage, said, "I'm very lucky just to be in the same generation as Messi."

According to local media such as the Inter Miami News Hub on the 22nd (Korea time), Son Heung-min said in a local interview shortly after his 3-0 complete victory over Inter Miami in the 2026 MLS opener at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles (LA).

The showdown between the two teams drew much attention as it was the first showdown between Son Heung-min and Messi and the two MLS representative superstars even before the game. Considering the large number of spectators, the MLS Secretariat decided on the Memorial Coliseum as the opening stadium, not the 22,000-seat BMO Stadium, and in fact, it was held in front of 75,673 spectators, the largest number of MLS opening games ever.

However, apart from his "rival composition" with Messi in MLS, Son Heung-min expressed his respect for Messi, a "football legend" beyond MLS with a touching tribute to Messi, who said, "It was an honor just to be on the ground with him."

Son Heung-min said, "Messi has always been an inspiration to me. "His transfer to the U.S. league and the way he played here also changed my thoughts and perspectives on the U.S. league," he said, adding that Messi's presence was one of the decisive reasons for his decision to transfer to MLS.

Meanwhile, LAFC, with consecutive goals from David Martinez, Buanga and Nathan Ordas, defeated Inter Miami 3-0. Son Heung-min assisted Martinez's first goal with a sharp pass. Messi, on the other hand, remained silent, with all four shots going to nothing.

It was the first time in seven years and two months that Son Heung-min and Messi have faced off on the UEFA Champions League stage in the 2018-2019 season. At that time, Son Heung-min was a member of Tottenham and Messi was a member of FC Barcelona.

In the first showdown in October 2018, Son Heung-min scored one assist and Messi scored two goals, respectively, and in the second confrontation held in December of that year, they failed to accumulate offensive points side by side. During his time at Tottenham, Son Heung-min had only one draw and one loss to Messi's team, and he won against Messi's team for the first time through his first MLS showdown.

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*This content was translated by AI.