Son Heung-min scores 50th goal in return to int’l duty

Son Heung-min resumed his assault on the South Korean football record book as he marked his return to international duty with his 50th career goal in a World Cup qualifier in Kuwait on Thursday.

The goal came in a 3-1 victory over Kuwait in the teams’ Group B match in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Son drew a penalty in the 17th minute at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium and converted it moments later to reach the half-century mark.

With that, Son pulled into a tie with former forward Hwang Sun-hong for second place on the all-time South Korean men’s scoring list.

Another former forward, Cha Bum-kun, is at the top with 58 goals, a mark the 32-year-old Son should be able to surpass before his career is over.

This was Son’s 130th match and he is six behind Cha and his current national team head coach, Hong Myung-bo, for the most caps in South Korean men’s football. Barring a catastrophic injury or a sudden loss of form, Son should reach the top of that leaderboard sometime in 2025.

Son looked rejuvenated playing in his first match for South Korea since Sept. 10 against Oman. From the early going, Son presented a constant danger for Kuwait on the left wing, either as a creator or a shot threat.

He was tackled by Sami Al-Sanea inside the box in the 17th minute, after the ball had reached him following a series of quick, accurate passes through tight space. He calmly converted the spot kick, and almost had his second goal in the 27th minute with a right-footed curler that just went over the target.

For South Korea’s two World Cup qualifiers in October, Son was cut from the squad at the last minute due to a hamstring injury.

Son had suffered that injury while playing in a UEFA Europa League match for Tottenham Hotspur on Sept. 26. He returned on Oct. 19 and even scored a goal then, before hitting the sidelines again.

Son came back on Nov. 3 and played three matches for Spurs before reporting to the national team this week. He played the full 90 minutes for the first time since that return on Sunday against Ipswich Town.

When announcing his squad last week, South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo said he would monitor Son’s minutes and adjust a usage plan for the talisman accordingly. Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou also said he hoped his team and South Korea could work together to optimize Son’s performance.

Mindful of Son’s recent injury history, Hong subbed out his captain in the 64th minute for Stoke City midfielder Bae Jun-ho.

The move paid major dividends, as Bae scored South Korea’s third goal 10 minutes later while Son got his rest.

After South Korea hung on to win, Son said he was more pleased with the victory than his goal.

“I am thankful to have had these opportunities to score so many goals,” he said. “I’d like to thank all the coaches and teammates I’ve had along the way. My teammates tried to help me score today in my return. It’s a huge honor to be mentioned alongside some great names in Korean football, but the most important thing is the win tonight.”

Son also thanked the national team and Spurs “for taking a great interest in my health and protecting me.”

“I am feeling great. I am back to my normal physical condition,” Son added. “I’d like to play at 100 percent in the next match.”