Son Heung-min Sets Record As South Korea’s Most-Capped Male Footballer

SEOUL, Oct 10 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- Son Heung-min became the most-capped male player in South Korean football history on Friday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Son earned his 137th cap by being named in the starting line-up in a friendly match against Brazil at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

He broke a three-way tie with his current national team head coach Hong Myung-bo and former forward Cha Bum-kun.

Son is also chasing the men’s goalscoring record held by Cha. He is on 53 goals, five behind Cha, and has scored in each of his past two matches.

He has been in outstanding form with Los Angeles Football Club since joining the Major League Soccer side in early August. He has eight goals and three assists in nine matches, including seven goals during a recent four-match scoring streak.

Son, 33, made his senior international debut as an 18-year-old on Dec 30, 2010 in a friendly against Syria. He has represented South Korea at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, and the 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cups.

Ji So-yun leads the women’s national team with 169 caps and 74 goals.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) will celebrate Son’s achievement before the start of the team’s next match against Paraguay at 8 pm on Tuesday at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Cha will be present to congratulate Son on surpassing him on the leaderboard, according to the KFA.

In Friday’s starting line-up, Son will be joined by playmaking midfielder and close friend Lee Jae-sung, who collected his 100th cap to become the 18th South Korean man to join the FIFA Century Club.

Jo Hyeon-woo will start in goal, with Kim Ju-sung, Kim Min-jae and Cho Yu-min lining up as centre-backs in Hong’s back-three formation. They will be flanked by wing-backs Lee Tae-seok and Seol Young-woo.

Hwang In-beom and Paik Seung-ho will anchor the midfield, while Lee Jae-sung and Lee Kang-in will operate as attacking midfielders behind Son.

Brazil’s starting line-up will feature Real Madrid teammates Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo up front, with another Real Madrid player, Eder Militao, in defence. Casemiro of Manchester United will captain the side, joined in midfield by Bruno Guimarães of Newcastle United.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP