Son Heung-min: Yamal Was the World Cup's Best Young Player, South Korea Fell Short of Expectations

On September 4 Beijing time, the US edition of “Goal.com” released a short interview video with Son Heung-min through its official TikTok account. The questions focused on reviewing the recently concluded North and Central American World Cup, and Son personally selected the players, teams and matches that impressed him most during the tournament.

The most notable question was which team could have achieved a better result. Son's answer was South Korea. As the captain who wore the armband and led South Korea at his fourth World Cup, he showed clear disappointment over the team's group-stage elimination.

Son selected Spain's Yamal as the best young player of the tournament. He chose Cape Verde as the country that created the most surprising underdog run, explaining: “As a football player, seeing their performances was deeply inspiring to me.”

For the best match, he selected the round-of-16 game between England and Mexico. When asked which national team's fans showed the most impressive support, he answered Congo. However, when asked which team among the 48 participants had underperformed, he thought of his own country.

In fact, South Korea's performance at this North and Central American World Cup was deeply disappointing. The national team led by head coach Hong Myung-bo recorded one win and two losses in the group stage and failed to reach the round of 16. It was the first time since the 2018 Russia World Cup that South Korea had been eliminated in the group stage, ending an eight-year run.

The start was not particularly poor. South Korea defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 in their opening match to earn three points. They then lost 0-1 to host Mexico in the second game, but still retained the possibility of advancing through their own efforts until the final match.

However, in the crucial final group match against South Africa, South Korea collapsed. Needing a win, South Korea ultimately failed to score and lost 0-1. They also lost the competition for a wild-card place as the third-ranked team in the group, bringing their World Cup journey to an earlier-than-expected end.

The atmosphere surrounding the national team was also chaotic. Even before the World Cup, controversy had continued over the process of appointing head coach Hong Myung-bo and the administrative management of the Korea Football Association. After the tournament began, criticism of tactics and player selections surged, and public opinion worsened further due to the disappointing results.

The aftermath was intense. Hong Myung-bo stepped down after the World Cup ended. Korea Football Association president Chung Mong-gyu also resigned, leaving Korean football in a period of simultaneous instability involving both the national team and management. In July this year, hearings at the National Assembly and police search operations followed one another, causing significant turmoil inside and outside football circles.

Ultimately, the Korea Football Association urgently searched for an interim head coach to stabilize the national team. During the selection process involving more than 20 candidates, Moreno received high praise for proposing a systematic coaching staff operation plan, demonstrating a deep understanding of Korean football and offering diverse tactical approaches.

Head coach Moreno's contract runs until November 27 this year. He will be evaluated through six A-level international matches from September to November. Depending on the competitive level shown and results achieved during this period, he may continue coaching through the 2027 Asian Cup scheduled for January next year.

Now, Korean football has moved past the World Cup disappointment and is standing at a new starting point. However, for Son Heung-min, who led the team at the time, that North and Central American World Cup remains a disappointing tournament.