South Korea are one of six AFC teams that have already secured a spot in the FIFA World Cup 2026. That means they won’t be playing any official matches during this international break, just friendlies. The first of those is set for Friday against Brazil, where Son Heung-min is expected to hit an impressive mark.
If Son plays against Brazil — either as a starter or coming off the bench — he will become the most-capped player in the history of the South Korean national team, reaching 137 appearances since his debut in 2010.
Currently, the Los Angeles FC forward is tied at 136 caps with two legends of South Korean soccer: former defender Hong Myung-bo — now the head coach of the national team — and former striker Cha Bum-kun. With both of them retired, Heung-min will have no competition at the top of that list, at least for now. In fact, among the players in the top 10 of South Korea’s all-time appearance list, Son is the only one still active.
The scoring record Son is chasing
In addition to being on the verge of becoming South Korea’s most-capped player, Son Heung-min is also closing in on the nation’s all-time scoring record. He currently sits second with 53 goals in 136 appearances, averaging 0.39 goals per game.
South Korea head coach, Hong Myung-bo.
The top spot is still held by Cha Bum-kun, who scored 58 goals in 136 matches — a slightly better average of 0.43. The South Korean legend reached that total between 1972 and 1986. That year, he made his lone World Cup appearance in Mexico, where he faced Diego Maradona’s Argentina in the group stage.
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Son eyes World Cup 2026 legacy
At 33 years old, Son has time to claim both records and cement his place in South Korea’s soccer history. And if he plays in the 2026 World Cup, he could also climb to the top of the national team’s record books in that tournament.
Right now, Heung-min is tied for sixth in South Korean history with 10 World Cup appearances, having played in Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022. The record belongs to Hong Myung-bo with 16, meaning Son would need to feature in at least six more World Cup matches to catch him.
At the same time, the LAFC star shares the top spot for most World Cup goals scored by a South Korean. He has 3 (one in 2014 and two in 2018), tied with Ahn Jung-hwan and Park Ji-sung. A single goal in the United States, Mexico, and Canada in 2026 would give Son the record outright — and make him just the second South Korean to score in three different World Cups, alongside Park.
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What’s next for South Korea?
This Friday, South Korea will take on Brazil at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, a valuable test against one of the world’s most powerful national teams. If Son Heung-min doesn’t play a single minute in that match, he’ll still have the chance to break the record next Tuesday, when South Korea face Paraguay.
