For Son Heung-Min, competing with South Korea at a FIFA World Cup never gets old.
The LAFC superstar has been capped 143 times, including 10 matches across three World Cups.
And now, on the precipice of his fourth World Cup, Son's excitement level is the same as it was back at Brazil 2014.
“It’s a great feeling. When you’re talking about the World Cup, as a soccer player, as a footballer, it’s like a dream,” Son told reporters on Friday.
“It doesn’t matter how many World Cups you’ve played or how many you’ve experienced. The World Cup is like a dream. I feel like I’m a little child looking forward to representing this amazing country.”
South Korean icon
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.
The second-highest scorer in his country's history, Son could surpass Cha Bum-Kun (58 goals) during this summer's tournament.
“It takes a lot of responsibility, but it’s a huge honor for that, and I just want to have fun and make this tournament like a festival,” the Taegeuk Warriors' captain said.
“Everybody's waiting for four years. As athletes, we’re working for four years for this amazing tournament. We want to have fun, have great, great results, and an amazing tournament.”
Familiar surroundings
South Korea are drawn into Group A with co-host Mexico, South Africa and Czechia. They open up against Czechia on June 11 in Zapopan.
Son is well-versed in the challenges of playing in Mexico, after LAFC faced Toluca in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals and defeated Cruz Azul in the quarterfinals.
“In Mexico, it was obviously not easy, if I’m being honest, with the altitude and all the different conditioning, but this is how it is. They’re hosting the World Cup, which for their country is a big deal,” Son said.
“We’re happy to go there and challenge ourselves. As athletes, you have to love those kinds of big challenges.”
Getting back on track
Before departing for South Korea’s pre-tournament camp, Son has unfinished business when LAFC host Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday evening (9:15 pm ET | Apple TV; FOX, FOX Deportes).
“I’m never thinking the future. I’m always thinking day-by-day, game by game, so I think the most important game is on Sunday,” Son said. “We just want to make sure we get a great result before I go to the World Cup with great feeling.”
That’s especially important considering LAFC’s post-Concacaf Champions Cup struggles. The Black & Gold are winless in four league matches (0W-3L-1D), including back-to-back road defeats against St. Louis CITY SC and Nashville SC.
“It’s hard to say when the situation is like this, but I think we are still in a good mood,” Son said. “Especially against Nashville and St. Louis, I don’t think we deserved zero points.”
More to come?
Son said he’s also not concerned about his partnership with Denis Bouanga, which hasn’t been as productive as when he first joined LAFC last August from Tottenham Hotspur on a league-record deal.
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.
Instead, David Martínez has taken some of the limelight away, with the 20-year-old Venezuelan scoring nine goals in 21 matches across all competitions.
“I’m just happy to see David and the young players doing amazing. Look, last year was a little bit crazy, we say a little bit overrated,” Son said.
“We are still working on it. I’m not really concerned. Denis has amazing quality. My quality I have, I always believe. I think the time will come again.”
