Son Heung-min, FIFA's 'World Cup Superstar'... "I'll create a magical moment"

*This content was translated by AI.

South Korea's national soccer team captain Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) has been named in the 2026 FIFA 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup 'Superstar' selected by FIFA.

FIFA recently selected Son Heung-min as one of the "26 Superstars" on its official website. FIFA introduces world-class players who are about to participate in the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup. Earlier, FIFA first selected Argentina's Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Norway's Erling Holan (Manchester City), France's Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (Alnasr) as the "26 Superstars." Son Heung-min was also proudly listed on the "Superstars."

"Son Heung-min, who is considered the best player in Asian soccer history, is set to play in his fourth World Cup," FIFA said. "Still the ace of the Korean national team, he will create another magical moment on the world stage."

"Son Heung-min is the best striker in the world with his explosive speed and sharp shooting ability that threatens the goal anywhere in the offensive camp. But his value does not stop there. One might think that Son Heung-min doesn't suit him as a playmaker, but he has achieved double-digit help for three seasons in 10 years from 2015 to 2025 when he played in the English Premier League (EPL). In this way, Son Heung-min said, "If the team's offense that utilizes the speed supports him, he can play the role of a troubleshooter in more various ways than anyone else."

FIFA continued, "Son Heung-min, who scored as many as 454 goals including the Cup at Tottenham, finally solved his long-cherished dream last season. Tottenham, where Son Heung-min served as captain, won the UEFA Europa League by winning 1-0 in the final, adding, "It was Son Heung-min's first victory in 15 years since his debut as a professional player, and he created a symbolic scene of lifting the trophy with the captain's armband and the national flag around his body."

The "praise" of world-renowned masters toward Son Heung-min was also introduced to fans around the world through the FIFA website.

According to FIFA, 'winning contractor' Jose Mourinho (Portugal) Benfica said, "I see Son Heung-min as one of the best players in the world. I don't mean to be rude, but if Son wanted to win, he could have played for any team in the world. He had the ability to play for Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in England. In other leagues, he praised him as "a player who can play for the best team."

"Son Heung-min is the best. He's a really nice guy. For example, FIFA also introduced the praise of former Tottenham manager Antonio Conte (Italy) who said, "If I have to find a man for our daughter to marry, I hope it's like Son Heung-min." It also added comments from Pep Guardiola (Spain), Manchester City coach, and Jurgen Klopp (Germany), former Liverpool coach, saying, "Do you know how many times Son Heung-min has punished us in the past seven to eight years?"

Son Heung-min's "Behind Story" was also introduced. FIFA said, "It's a well-known anecdote, but what's surprising every time I hear it again is that Son Heung-min didn't play soccer in a formal team until he turned 13," adding, "He grew up in a unique environment where his father, Son Woong-jung, who played professional in the past, taught him to learn 'enjoy soccer that is faithful to the basics rather than winning soccer.' He explained, "It wasn't until he became a middle school student that he joined the school's soccer team and became a member of the official team."

"Son Heung-min was selected as the target of the excellent player overseas study project conducted by the Korea Football Association in 2008 and joined the Hamburg Youth Academy. Hamburg was agonizing over whether to continue his relationship with Son Heung-min a year later, and made a decision after watching him play a great role in the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Hamburg has signed a formal contract with "player Son Heung-min," who proved his possibility, not "promising Son Heung-min," who received preferential treatment for the project, he said, adding that Son Heung-min's process of entering Europe was also reported.

We also looked back on Son Heung-min's previous three World Cup challenges. He participated in both the 2014 Brazil Games, the 2018 Russia Games, and the 2022 Qatar Games. He played a leading role in the victory over Germany at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and also played in the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar for the first time.

FIFA said, "Son Heung-min scored his World Cup debut goal against Algeria in the second leg of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. At that time, South Korea lost 2-4, but Son Heung-min crossed the opponent's side in a row, making six dribbles. "However, South Korea was eliminated after losing to Belgium, and Son Heung-min ended the tournament in tears with his head down."

"At the World Cup in Russia, Son Heung-min scored a goal and led the team to a 2-0 victory over Germany. The elimination of the tournament was confirmed, but he gave the people a touching game by beating Germany. This time, Son Heung-min ended the tournament with tears of emotion, he said. " Ahead of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Son Heung-min showed his fighting spirit by wearing a protective mask even though he suffered a serious facial fracture. Although he did not score in Qatar, he scored more important assists than any other goal (against Portugal in the final group league), and Bento took the lead in writing the history of Korean soccer."

FIFA said, "Coach Hong Myung-bo publicly stated at a press conference for the appointment of the national team in 2024 that his goal for this World Cup is to advance to the quarterfinals." Hong Myung-bo Team's captain is Son Heung-min, adding, "In addition to Son Heung-min, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Lee Kang-in and Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae are holding out for South Korea. Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), and Oh Hyun-kyu (Besiktashi) are recognized for their ability on the European stage, adding that the "golden generation" has been considered the mainstay of the national team.

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*This content was translated by AI.