FIFA World Cup 2026 Profile: Son Heung-min

Forward Son Heung-min smiles for the crowd while playing for the South Korea mens national team in file photo. FIFA World Cup 2026 Profile: Son Heung-min

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is another opportunity for greatness, and Son Heung-min believes the fourth time could be the charm.

Son has been in three World Cups already in his career, but it’s never too late for the 32-year-old forward to deliver something more special for the Taeguk Warriors next year.

Son Heung-min Player Profile:

  • Full Name: Song Heung-min
  • Date of Birth: July 8, 1992
  • Place of Birth: Chuncheon, South Korea
  • Height: 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
  • Position: Forward
  • Preferred Foot: Right

Club Information

Current Club:

  • Tottenham Hotspur (English Premier League) – 2015-
  • 7 – Jersey Number

Previous Clubs:

  • Hamburger SV II (Regionalliga Nord) – 2010
  • Hamburger SV (2.Bundesliga) – 2010-13
  • Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga) – 2013-15
  • Tottenham Hotspur (English Premier League) – 2015

Son joined Hamburger SV at 16 years old upon relocating to Germany before he made his Bundesliga debut in 2010.

The 32-year-old moved to Bayer Leverkusen for a club record €10 million in 2013.

He would later sign for Tottenham Hotspur in 2015, when he rose to become one of the best forwards in the world.

Forward Son Heung-min (middle) tries to kick the ball past a defender (right) while playing for the South Korea mens national team in file photo. FIFA World Cup 2026 Profile: Son Heung-min

International Career

  • National Team: South Korea
  • Senior Debut: December 30, 2010
  • Captain: since 2019
  • Milestone: Was team captain when Taeguk Warriors reached Round of 16 at 2022 FIFA World Cup and won gold at 2018 Asian Games.

Son’s first exposure with national team duty came in 2009, when he was named in South Korea’s roster for the U-17 World Cup in Nigeria in 2009.

He would make his seniors debut in a pre-tournament friendly against Syria on December 30.

Son declined a chance to play for South Korea in the 2012 London Olympics to focus on his career at Hamburger SV at the time

The two-footed forward would eventually play for the Taeguk Warriors in the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Son would later be named as one of three over-aged players for South Korea’s lineup for the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

He would help the Taeguk Warriors beat Japan, 2-1, in the final to claim the gold medal and had the entire team exempted from mandatory military service in South Korea.

Forward Son Heung-min smiles  before for the crowd while playing for Tottenham Hotspur in file photo. FIFA World Cup 2026 Profile: Son Heung-min

Major Tournaments Played

  • FIFA World Cup: 2014 (Group Stage), 2018 (Group Stage), 2022 (Round-of-16 – as captain)
  • AFC Asian Cup: 2011 (3rd place), 2015 (runners-up), 2019 (quarterfinals)
  • Olympic Games: 2016 (Rio, Quarterfinals – as overage player)
  • Asian Games: 2018 (Indonesia, Gold Medal – as overage player and captain)
  • FIFA World Cup Qualifier: 2014, 2018, 2022 (all qualified)

Player Data

  • Key Attributes: Acceleration, two-footed ability, positioning, stamina, finishing
  • Strengths:
    Explosive pace, accurate shooting with both feet, deadly counterrattacks, leadership, consistency in big games
  • Weaknesses:
    Occasional dips in playing form when under pressure

Career Highlights

  • South national team captain since 2019.
  • Won golf medal at 2018 Asian Games, earning exemption from military service
  • Scored in three-straight FIFA World Cups (2014, 2018, 2022)
  • First Asian player to win Premier League Golden Boot (2021-22, shared with Mo Salah)
  • Scored over 150 goals for Tottenham Hotspur since joining in 2015
  • Named Best Footballer in Asia from 2014-23.
  • Key player in Spurs’ run to UEFA Champions League Final (2019)
  • South Korea’s all-time leading top scorer in World Cup history (with three goals)
  • First Asian player to be named captain of Premier League team full-time (Tottenham, 2023-24 season)

Statistics

Club Appearances and Statistics:

  • Total Appearances: 577
  • Total Goals: 175
ClubYearsAppearances (Total)Goals (Total)
Hamburger SV2010–20137820
Bayer Leverkusen2013-20158729
Tottenham Hotspur2015-Present412126
VfB Stuttgart2019-202313315
Liverpool FC2023-Present412

Country Appearances and Statistics: South Korea

  • Caps (including friendlies): 125
  • Goals: 41
CompetitionCapsGoals
FIFA World Cup Finals103
AFC Asian Cup113
World Cup Qualifiers2912
Olympic Games (overage)60
Friendlies6622
Total Competitive Matches (excluding friendlies)5919

Fun Trivia

  • Son has been a brand ambassador for British luxury fasion house Burberry since 2022.
  • He has two officially licensed NFT collections that were released in collaboration with NFTStar (sports fandom social platform with a web3 comunity).
  • Son has dated K-pop singers Bang Min-ah and Yoo So-young
  • He is a fan of the video game League of Legends.
  • Son opened his Son Football Academy in his hometown Chuncheon with his father and brother at a cost of £11 million.

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