Son Heung-min expresses disappointment at starting on the bench in the match against South Africa

Son Heungmin (LAFC) expressed regret that, for the first time, he started on the bench rather than in the starting lineup in the final match of Group A in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup group stage, and that he had not been able to help the team enough. Korea lost 01 to South Africa in a match held on the 25th at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico, finishing in 3rd place in the group, and now must wait for the results of the other groups to see whether it will advance to the round of 32. Son Heungmin came on as a substitute at the start of the second half, but he could not turn the game around. After the match, Son Heungmin said, "The result is disappointing, and the players must have been feeling down a lot," adding, "I felt very sorry because I don't think I was able to help much on the field." He also said that rather than the weather or atmosphere, they needed to look back on the content of the game itself, and explained that there were no problems with the team's internal 분위기.