"All in for life": Son Heung-min aims to rewrite Korean football history... 'Targeting to surpass Cha Bum-kun' for most goals in World Cup and A-matches [Countdown to Czech match]

*This content was translated by AI.

Even veteran players who have dominated as world-class strikers find the World Cup stage unique. Son Heung-min (34, LAFC), captain of the South Korean national football team, has shown his solemn determination to stake his life on every match as he approaches his fourth World Cup final tournament.

Under coach Hong Myung-bo, the Lee Kkeu-neun (CEO) team will face the Czech Republic in the first Group A match of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup at Estadio Akron at 11 a.m. on the 12th (Korean time).

On the afternoon of the 11th (local time), one day before the match, Son Heung-min entered the official press conference venue at the stadium, emphasizing his sense of responsibility as captain along with the excitement ahead of the decisive game.

This tournament is a stage where Son Heung-min's entire football career is fully reflected. Since making his debut as the youngest player at the 2014 Brazil World Cup, he has been a core member of the national team, reaching the 2018 Russia World Cup and writing the legend of reaching the round of 16 in the 2022 Qatar World Cup away from home.

As he prepares for his fourth World Cup, Son Heung-min said, "I am happy to be able to run on the stage I have dreamed of since childhood," and added, "Seeing the locker room and the grass at the stadium makes me feel like the flower of football is blooming, so I am very excited and looking forward to it."

Above all, Son Heung-min expressed the weight of the opening match and the urgency of advancing from the group stage. He stated firmly, "Every World Cup match is so important that it is worth staking one's life on," and added, "I will not think about anything else and will focus on training."

Regarding the strength of the Czech Republic, his first opponent, he maintained a thorough state of alert. On the Czech team, which boasts a glamorous lineup including Tomas Soucek (West Ham), whom he frequently faced during his time at Tottenham Hotspur in England, and Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen), Son Heung-min evaluated, "There is a clear reason why they advanced by defeating strong teams in the European qualifiers," and noted, "They have many excellent players from a good league, so we must be cautious."

Especially regarding strategies to break through the Czech Republic's overwhelmingly tall defensive line, he emphasized team cohesion. He analyzed, "Every player has strengths and weaknesses, and since the opponent has strengths, they must also have weaknesses. Rather than thinking about how I will handle it individually, it is important to always rely on the team's help as I have always done and to thoroughly fulfill my role of supporting the team."

He also showed confidence regarding the aftereffects of high-altitude adaptation that continued throughout the training period. Having experienced high-altitude conditions in advance due to his club schedule, Son Heung-min said, "I personally experienced it and was greatly affected, and other players shared similar feelings," and added, "The players threw themselves into training with more than necessary passion from the early stages of the US camp and went through a lot of hardship. I hope all the hard work and sweat they have put in will beautifully bloom on the field." He expressed deep trust in his teammates.

As he approaches his fourth World Cup, Son Heung-min has appeared in 144 A-match career games and recorded 56 goals. He already surpassed the record for the most appearances in Korean football history (136 games) held by former coach Cha Bum-kun during a friendly match against Brazil last October, and now his focus turns to breaking the former coach's all-time goal record (58 goals).

Furthermore, he is on the verge of taking sole possession of the top spot for most goals scored by a South Korean player in World Cup history. Currently tied with Ahn Jung-hwan and Park Ji-sung with three career goals, Son Heung-min will complete the great achievement of becoming the sole number one in South Korean World Cup goals if he adds just one more goal in this tournament, surpassing his senior teammates.

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*This content was translated by AI.