South Korea national football team captain Son Heung-min enters the 2027 Asian Cup under pressure to end the country’s 66-year continental title drought, as the Asian Football Confederation highlights the forward as a player to watch ahead of the tournament in Saudi Arabia.
Chasing the 1960 Benchmark
Korea last lifted the Asian Cup trophy in 1960. Despite maintaining a reputation as a powerhouse within Asian football, the national team has failed to secure the championship for over six decades. The Asian Football Confederation selected Son as a key player to watch in the upcoming 2027 tournament, drawing attention to his extensive international career and his pursuit of continental success.
Approaching age 35 by the time the tournament kicks off, Son faces what is likely his final opportunity to claim the Asian Cup. The upcoming competition in Saudi Arabia represents a defining moment for a squad seeking to break its long-standing tournament hoodoo.
Son’s Continental Journey and Past Heartbreaks
Son made his first appearance at the Asian Cup during the 2011 tournament in Qatar as an 18-year-old, scoring his first international tournament goal against India. He subsequently established himself as a central figure for the national squad. During the 2015 tournament in Australia, he guided Korea to the final, scoring two goals in extra time during the quarterfinals against Uzbekistan and a dramatic equalizer near the end of regular time in the championship match against Australia. Korea ultimately conceded a decisive goal in extra time, finishing as runners-up.
Subsequent continental campaigns met with similar frustration. The squad exited at the quarterfinal stage in the 2019 tournament and fell to Jordan in the semifinals of the 2023 competition. The 2023 tournament also saw internal friction surface within the team, notably involving an incident between Son and teammate Lee Kang-in.
| Tournament Year | Host Nation | Korea’s Finish | Key Match Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Qatar | Group/Knockout Phase | Son scores first international tournament goal vs. India at age 18. |
| 2015 | Australia | Runners-Up | Son scores equalizer in final; Korea loses to Australia in extra time. |
| 2019 | UAE | Quarterfinals | Korea exits in the round of eight. |
| 2023 | Qatar | Semifinals | Korea falls to Jordan; tournament marked by internal squad friction. |
Club Career Transitions and Leadership Role
Son’s global profile developed through spells in Germany with Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen before his 2015 transfer to Tottenham Hotspur. In 2019, he helped Tottenham reach the UEFA Champions League final and subsequently won the FIFA Puskás Award in 2020 for a solo goal against Burnley. He finished as a joint Premier League top scorer in the 2021–2022 season.
Following a UEFA Europa League title with Tottenham in 2025, Son moved to Major League Soccer club LAFC. As captain of the national team heading toward the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he remains the focal point of the squad as it transitions under the guidance of head coach Robert Moreno, who recently oversaw a 2-0 friendly victory over Uzbekistan at Yongin Mir Stadium where Son broke Cha Bum-kun’s A-match scoring record.
