Son Heung-min and South Korea head to North America for the World Cup under a cloud of uncertainty, with growing concern surrounding the captain’s form, his international future and the team’s prospects under unpopular coach Hong Myung-bo. The 33-year-old forward, long the face of South Korean football, will likely be appearing in his final World Cup, but recent performances have done little to inspire confidence. South Korea were beaten 4-0 by the Ivory Coast and 1-0 by Austria in pre-tournament friendlies, adding to frustration among supporters and intensifying scrutiny of Hong’s tactical choices.
Hong has moved to defend Son, calling him “the heart of our team” and insisting he has never doubted the forward’s importance. Yet the pressure remains heavy on a player who scored 54 goals in 143 appearances for his country and has carried national hopes for more than 15 years. Son’s club career also appears to be in transition after leaving Tottenham Hotspur for Los Angeles FC in August 2025, with his best years now viewed as behind him. He rejected talk of decline after the loss to Austria, saying he did not believe his performance had dipped and that he would decide on his own when to leave the national team.
South Korea are in Group A with the Czech Republic, South Africa and co-hosts Mexico, and begin against the Czechs in Guadalajara on June 11, 2026. Progress from the group may depend heavily on Son rediscovering his scoring touch. That would be especially significant after a disappointing 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when he played through injury with a protective mask and failed to score as South Korea were eliminated in the last 16 by Brazil, 4-1.
Public sentiment at home appears bleak. Fans had expected more after South Korea qualified unbeaten, but confidence has fallen sharply. Hong remains deeply unpopular, with supporters jeering him during qualifying and criticizing the Korea Football Association for reappointing him after a chaotic managerial period that included two interim coaches and a short, troubled spell under Jurgen Klinsmann.
Hong has defended his use of a back-three system with wingbacks, arguing that South Korea need tactical flexibility rather than reliance on a single formation. The squad, meanwhile, is built largely around players based overseas. Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae continues to anchor the back line, while Paris Saint-Germain attacker Lee Kang-in remains one of the team’s most gifted creators, though his club role has been limited and his future may change this summer.
For South Korea, the journey to North America is being defined as much by anxiety as ambition, with Son’s fading brilliance and the coach’s unpopularity casting a long shadow over the team’s World Cup hopes.
