Can Son Heung-min Break the Korean World Cup Scoring Record?

“Goals will come any time… I’ll enjoy the tournament.” South Korea captain Son Heung-min, now with LAFC, reaffirmed his commitment to making a fourth straight World Cup as the 2026 tournament in North America approaches.At a club press conference on the 23rd (KST), Son said, “The World Cup always feels like a dream. My passion is the same as when I first played in Brazil in 2014. I’ll return to that mindset and lead the team on and off the field.”Now in his mid-30s, Son is likely facing his last World Cup. He left Tottenham last year and moved to the U.S. to better prepare for the tournament. Son admitted he was surprised that some group-stage matches will be in Mexico rather than the U.S., but said adapting early has been a clear advantage.With LAFC, Son has already played two high-altitude away matches in Mexico while competing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. “The data show high-altitude matches are much tougher than regular ones,” he said. “I’ll actively share my valuable high-altitude experience with my teammates.”Attention is also on whether Son will set a new South Korean World Cup scoring record. He has three World Cup goals and one assist; one more goal would move him past Park Ji-sung and Ahn Jung-hwan (both three) and into sole possession of first place. Son downplayed individual milestones: “Creating a celebration that football fans can enjoy together matters more than individual records,” he said, emphasizing the team nature of the sport.He also dismissed recent concerns about a scoring drought at his club. “My ability doesn’t disappear overnight. Goals can come at any time,” he said.The national team will play friendlies against Trinidad and Tobago at 10:00 a.m. on the 31st and El Salvador at 10:00 a.m. on June 4. Both matches will be held at BYU South Field at Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City, Utah, where the team is holding its pre-camp.