Soccer <\/p>\n
For Son Heung-Min<\/a>, competing with South Korea at a FIFA World Cup<\/a> never gets old.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The LAFC<\/a> superstar has been capped 143 times, including 10 matches across three World Cups.<\/p>\n And now, on the precipice of his fourth World Cup, Son’s excitement level is the same as it was back at Brazil 2014.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a great feeling. When you\u2019re talking about the World Cup, as a soccer player, as a footballer, it\u2019s like a dream,\u201d Son told reporters on Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how many World Cups you\u2019ve played or how many you\u2019ve experienced. The World Cup is like a dream. I feel like I\u2019m a little child looking forward to representing this amazing country.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 16, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Son is still the face of his national team, which comes with inherent pressure. But his 54 career international goals, including three at past World Cups, have proven the forward knows how to thrive when the lights are brightest.\u00a0<\/p>\n The second-highest scorer in his country’s history, Son could surpass Cha Bum-Kun (58 goals) during this summer’s tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes a lot of responsibility, but it\u2019s a huge honor for that, and I just want to have fun and make this tournament like a festival,\u201d the Taegeuk Warriors’ captain said.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody’s waiting for four years. As athletes, we\u2019re working for four years for this amazing tournament. We want to have fun, have great, great results, and an amazing tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n South Korea are drawn into Group A with co-host Mexico, South Africa and Czechia. They open up against Czechia on June 11 in Guadalajara.<\/p>\n Son is well-versed in the challenges of playing in Mexico, after LAFC faced Toluca in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> semifinals and defeated Cruz Azul in the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Mexico, it was obviously not easy, if I\u2019m being honest, with the altitude and all the different conditioning, but this is how it is. They\u2019re hosting the World Cup, which for their country is a big deal,\u201d Son said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re happy to go there and challenge ourselves. As athletes, you have to love those kinds of big challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n “I always believed, I think it’s just about time, I don’t have a doubt about that, so we are just working on it.”<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f Son Heung-Min pic.twitter.com\/6m4QvxbNIx<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2014 LAFC (@LAFC) May 22, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Before departing for South Korea\u2019s pre-tournament camp, Son has unfinished business when LAFC host\u00a0Seattle Sounders FC<\/a> on Sunday evening (9:15 pm ET | Apple TV<\/a>; FOX, FOX Deportes).\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m never thinking the future. I\u2019m always thinking day-by-day, game by game, so I think the most important game is on Sunday,\u201d Son said. \u201cWe just want to make sure we get a great result before I go to the World Cup with great feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s especially important considering LAFC\u2019s post-Concacaf Champions Cup struggles. The Black & Gold are winless in four league matches (0W-3L-1D), including back-to-back road defeats against\u00a0St. Louis CITY SC<\/a> and Nashville SC<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to say when the situation is like this, but I think we are still in a good mood,\u201d Son said. \u201cEspecially against Nashville and St. Louis, I don\u2019t think we deserved zero points.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Son sets up David to give us the lead \ud83d\udca5 pic.twitter.com\/mCTaL9bRkG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 LAFC (@LAFC) February 22, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Son said he\u2019s also not concerned about his partnership with\u00a0Denis Bouanga<\/a>, which hasn\u2019t been as productive as when he first joined LAFC last August from Tottenham Hotspur on a league-record deal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Son has yet to score this season, though he leads MLS with nine assists. Bouanga, a three-time MLS Best XI forward, has 6g\/5a on the season.<\/p>\nSouth Korean icon<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Familiar surroundings<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Getting back on track<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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More to come?<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n