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Son Heung-min says, ‘It's important to get off to a good start,’ ahead of World Cup qualifier against Oman

입력 2025.03.20 17:51

Kim Se-hoon

“This is the first international match of the year. It's important to get off to a good start.”
This is the mindset of Korean men's national football team captain Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur.
Son kept emphasizing the word “first” during a press conference at the Goyang Sports Complex on March 19. “It's my first time meeting fans this year, so I have a huge responsibility,” he said.

Son Heung-min (center) trains with his teammates ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Oman at Goyang Stadium in Gyeonggi Province on March 19. Yonhap News

Korea will face Oman in a 2026 World Cup qualifier at Goyang Stadium in Gyeonggi Province, at 8 p.m. on March 20.

Korea leads Group B with six matches unbeaten (four wins, two draws and 14 points). If Korea beat Oman this time and also Jordan in the next qualifier in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on the 25th, Korea will secure at least second place in the group regardless of the outcome of the remaining matches and secure tickets to the FIFA World Cup finals for the 11th consecutive time.

“It would be nice to win the tickets to the World Cup finals early, but we just look advantageous because we are in a good position (the first spot in the group),” Son said, emphasizing that ”we must not forget the difficulties we have faced in the past under difficult circumstances.” He added, “I've never thought about the next game while playing football. I'll try to score a goal, which is my role that I can't hide."

Son has scored 51 goals in 131 international matches for Korea. The all-time leading scorer in Korean football history is former coach Cha Bum-kun (58 goals in 136 matches). Son also came third following Cha, Korean national football team coach Hong Myung-bo (136 matches), and Lee Woon-jae (133 matches) in the record of most appearances.

“I don't have any personal feelings (about the records),” Son said, adding, ”I've been playing for so long with the help of my teammates, coaches, leaders and staff, so I give credit to them.” He also added, “In the future, I will play with the idea that I can do better and with the responsibility to give back more than I receive. My priority is to return more of what I have rather than to achieve a record.”

Son scored one goal and two assists against Oman in the qualifier in Muscat last September. Oman is ranked 80th in the FIFA rankings, much lower than Korea (23rd). Oman is expected to play with a tight defense. Not only scoring ability but also set-piece ability will be the key to deciding the game.

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Son is focusing on his last-minute efforts by playing a lot for Tottenham, which has stayed at the bottom of the Premier League. “I'm in the best shape of my life,” he said. ”The national team is a dream. I think it's a bigger dream than playing in the Premier League.”

The national squad includes many players in their early 20s. “When I see players joining the national team for the first time, it reminds me of when I first joined the team,” said Son. ”If they are shy and feel embarrassed, they cannot play their best and it's bad for them and the team. I tell them to play comfortably so that they don't miss opportunities, even if it's for a short time.”

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.