Los Angeles (LA) FC is reaping the rewards after signing football superstar Son Heung-min (33, pictured) for a Major League Soccer (MLS) record transfer fee of US$26.5 million (about 37 billion won).

On August 27, the MLS office released its evaluation of each club’s performance in the summer transfer window on its official website, giving LAFC the top grade of A+.

“Son’s already paid off with goals, assists, drawn penalties and approximately a billion shirts sold,” MLS wrote. “His adaptation as the team’s front-line striker is the very last puzzle piece the club had been looking for.”

Son has already delivered on the field. In his debut match against the Chicago Fire on August 10, he came off the bench and won a penalty. On the 17th, in his first start against the New England Revolution, he provided an assist. Then on the 24th against FC Dallas, he scored a stunning free-kick goal, his first in MLS.

Son was named to the “Team of the Matchday,” the equivalent of the round’s Best XI, in both of his starts.

Though MLS is considered a step below the English Premier League (EPL), Son’s performances have been exceptional, and his influence is spreading well beyond the pitch.

In a post titled “Son’s Impact,” LAFC wrote: “On spreadsheets and on the street, the effect of Son Heung-Min’s arrival at LAFC has been unprecedented,” adding, “The stunning impact of Son Heung-Min’s arrival at LAFC this summer can be quantified with hard data like the record-setting demand for tickets to LAFC’s home matches or the growth of LAFC’s social media presence.”

His jerseys have completely sold out. LAFC’s online shop has posted a notice that additional orders for jerseys with Son’s name and number will be shipped by September 13.

U.S. outlet BolaVIP reported, “When Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in July 2023, 500,000 jerseys sold in a month. Son Heung-min’s jersey sales are estimated to be three times that figure.”

Ticket demand for LAFC home matches has also soared. The match against San Diego FC at BMO Stadium on August 31 is sold out, even standing room.

On resale markets, the cheapest ticket is $172 (about 240,000 won). For comparison, the lowest resale price for LA Galaxy’s midweek Leagues Cup semifinal is $34 (about 50,000 won).

The club’s social media following has also skyrocketed. YouTube subscribers (200,000), X followers (340,000), and Instagram followers (1.23 million) have all surged. Media coverage of the club in early August jumped 289 percent compared to before, while LAFC-related content views soared 594 percent, surpassing 33.98 billion views.

Google Trends analysis shows the surge in popularity as well. Before Son’s arrival, LAFC’s search interest was in single digits. In early August, it spiked to the maximum score of 100, and it still remains high at 83.

Signs of change are visible in the streets of Los Angeles too. A large mural of Son has gone up on the outer wall of a restaurant in Koreatown. Josh Lee of LAFC’s Korean supporters group Tigers SG said, “Even in the past two away games, about 10 new Korean fans came out. For the first home game, we expect a huge turnout from the Korean community.”

Another member, Mike Mikita, added, “In the past, LAFC support was mostly the story of Korean Americans who were born and raised in the U.S. Now it’s exciting to see fans coming directly from Korea joining in.”