The 2026 World Cup is the last dance for a handful of ageing stars. The swansong to a glittering career.
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Neymar are among those who’re expected to represent their nation for the final time in North America this summer. You can add Son Heung-min to that last, right?
In this article we’ll cover:
“I’ve never once defined it as my last one myself. People are free to say whatever they want, but my own thoughts matter. I’ll make the decision myself,” Son said in the build up to South Korea’s tournament opener against the Czech Republic in the early hours of Friday morning.
“Whether it’s my first or fourth World Cup, my mindset remains the same. The World Cup is a dream stage that makes me feel like a child again,” the South Korea captain added.
Ageing Son’s role change for LAFC
Son will turn 34 before the World cup draws to a close next month. Given Modric, at 40, and Ronaldo, at 41, are turning out for Croatia and Portugal, respectively, this summer, it stands to reason that the LAFC forward will prolong his career and make himself available for South Korea in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain in four years’ time.
The issue will be the role that Son plays at both this World Cup, and the 2030 edition. The forward’s searing pace was always his greatest strength. However, just as Father Time catches up on any football player, it’s a physical quality in decline. You won’t see Son making the same lung busting runs Tottenham Hotspur fans witnessed during his peak years in north London.
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As such, the number of take-ons attempted per 90 has dropped from 4.4 to 3.5, but what’s noticeable is the change of style under LAFC head coach Marc Santos. Son no longer operates as the man to lead the charge. Rather, he drops deeper to help knit the play together.
Nippy support men helping South Korea skipper
Passes per 90 have risen slightly from 27.7 to 29.6, as has the pass accuracy (84.8% to 88.4%). He’s less of a traditional striker in the favoured 4-2-3-1 setup. It means, though, that he is able to drift across the frontline to help link LAFC’s offensive game.
Admittedly, chances created per 90 have dropped from 3.3 to 2.5 but there’s been a rise in attempted through balls (3, up from 2) and clear-cut chances created (8, up from 7). And with the nippy LAFC wingers willing to make runs in behind, this means Son is less of a goalscorer and more of a provider.
Son has registered more assists (8) than any other player in MLS this season. Of those eight, five have been for teammate Denis Bouanga. It’s the best assist-to-goalscorer combination in MLS.
So, how does this relate to the 2026 World Cup? Well, South Korea are going to implement a relatively similar setup to LAFC in North America this summer, at least in attack.
Hwang and Lee set to benefit
The 33-year-old will lead the charge, and is expected to be flanked by Hwang Hee-chan and Lee Kang-in. The respective Wolves and Paris Saint-Germain forwards are renowned for their speed and directness. As such, they’ll cut in from the respective flanks to help put opposition defences to the sword.
And with Son dropping deeper in search of possession, this will open up space for the attacking pair to utilise. Combined with the wing-backs breaking forward to provide the width in Hong Myung-bo’s three-man defensive system, it’s vital than Son replicate his league form on the international stage.
Czech Republic, after all, aren’t in North America to merely make up the numbers. They have the personnel to hurt South Korea. Patrik Schick struck 16 times in the Bundesliga last season. Pavel Sulc is one of the most promising Czech midfielders in Europe. Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal and Ladislav Krejci all have Premier League experience to call upon.
However, Son’s role change will provide Czech Republic with a tactical conundrum they need to overcome. They can’t simply afford the Taegeuk Warriors skipper the time and the space to dictate the tempo. If Son is given the chance to pull the strings in the final third, then Czech Republic may just fall to an opening matchday defeat in Guadalajara.
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