South Korea’s men’s national soccer team captain Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham) scored multiple goals in the second Group C match of the 2026 North-China World Cup Asian qualifying round against China at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center in Shenzhen, China on the 21st, leading his team to a 3-0 victory.
Tottenham captain and South Korean national team captain Son Heung-min left a strong message even before the game began. We must thoroughly confront China’s physical fight. I won’t make you breathe,” he said. 안전놀이터
Citing Son Heung-min’s interview, China’s South China Morning Post reported extensively that “Son Heung-min issued an alert to the team against China.”
Son Heung-min was powerful. When Hwang Hee-chan won a penalty kick, Son Heung-min stepped up as a kicker just before. The right-footed shot went straight into the net. All 40,000 Chinese spectators gathered at the stadium were silent. Son Heung-min responded with a “hush ceremony.”
In the extra time of the first half, he completed a multi-goal with a sensuous header. In the second half, he actively moved back and forth between the front line and the second line, putting in a number of exquisite penetration passes to his teammate. In the end, Korea won the game 3-0.
He scored 41 goals in the A match. It is the first time in 27 years that the A match has surpassed 40 goals since Hwang Sun-hong, the current coach of the Olympic team in 1996. He also ranked third in the overall score of the national team. Cha Bum-keun (58 goals) topped the list, followed by Hwang Sun-hong (50 goals).
The BBC reported on the match between Korea and China, saying, “Korea defeated China 3-0. Son Heung-min scored two goals and started the World Cup qualifying round perfectly, adding, “Son Heung-min scored a penalty kick in the 11th minute of the first half and scored his second goal just before the end of the first half. He also assisted Jung Seung-hyun’s header in the 87th minute and was involved in Korea’s third goal.