Heung-min Son · Biography

The first title of Son Heung-min’s career came in 2018 at the Asian Games in Jakarta–Palembang, where South Korea beat Japan 2-1 after extra time in the final and he set up both extra-time goals. Born on 8 July 1992 in Chuncheon, in Gangwon province, Son is a forward who usually starts on the left wing. He spent ten seasons at Tottenham Hotspur, lifted the 2025 Europa League as club captain and has played for Los Angeles FC since August 2025.

From Chuncheon to Hamburg

Son attended Yukminkwan and Dongbuk middle schools before joining the FC Seoul academy in 2008. That year he was a runner-up with South Korea at the AFC U-16 Championship, and in August he moved to Hamburger SV’s academy through a youth programme run by the Korean federation. He went home a year later and formally joined the German club’s academy in November 2009. In 2010 he made six appearances for the reserve team, scoring once, before stepping up to the first team. On 30 October 2010 he scored his first Bundesliga goal, against 1. FC Köln, becoming Hamburg’s youngest scorer in the league. Over three seasons he made 78 appearances in all competitions and scored 20 goals.

Bayer Leverkusen

On 13 June 2013 Bayer Leverkusen confirmed his signing on a five-year contract for a reported €10 million, the highest fee the club had paid at the time. He arrived to replace André Schürrle. In two seasons he played 87 matches and scored 29 goals, 21 of them in the Bundesliga. His spell at Leverkusen ended in August 2015, when Tottenham bought him.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham signed him on 28 August 2015 for £22 million, and he made his debut on 13 September away at Sunderland. He was named Premier League Player of the Month in September 2016 and April 2017, and was part of the side that reached the 2019 Champions League final, lost to Liverpool. On 7 December 2019 he scored against Burnley after running the length of the pitch past seven opponents; the goal was voted the Premier League’s Goal of the Season and won him the FIFA Puskás Award in December 2020. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year for 2020-21, and in 2021-22 he shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah on 23 goals, the first Asian player to win it. On 12 August 2023 he was appointed club captain.

Europa League and farewell

On 21 May 2025 Tottenham beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final, with Son coming on as a substitute. It was the club’s first trophy since the 2008 League Cup and the first of his club career. On 1 August 2025 he announced in Seoul that he would leave; his last match was a 1-1 friendly against Newcastle United in the South Korean capital on 3 August, after which both teams formed a guard of honour. He left Tottenham with 454 appearances and 173 goals, the fifth-highest total in the club’s scoring records.

Los Angeles FC

Los Angeles FC signed him on 6 August 2025 for $26.5 million, the largest transfer fee in MLS history. His first goal came on 23 August against FC Dallas, a free kick later named MLS Goal of the Year. On 17 September 2025 he scored his first hat-trick for the club in a 4-1 win at Real Salt Lake.

Playing style

Son plays mainly on the left but can also operate as a second striker or a centre-forward. He is two-footed, quick and an efficient finisher on the counter-attack, and his coaches have valued his work off the ball and his defensive contribution. He was voted Asian Footballer of the Year in 2017 and 2022.

South Korea

Son made his senior international debut on 30 December 2010 in a friendly against Syria ahead of the 2011 Asian Cup. He has played at four Asian Cups: in 2015 he scored both goals in a 2-0 quarter-final win over Uzbekistan before South Korea lost the final 2-1 to Australia after extra time; in 2019 he was captain; and in 2023 he scored the extra-time winner against Australia in the quarter-finals before defeat to Jordan in the semi-finals. He played at the World Cups of 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026. In 2018 he scored against Mexico and Germany; in 2022, wearing a protective mask after an eye injury, he captained the side to the round of 16 after a 2-1 win over Portugal, before a 4-1 defeat to Brazil. In 2026 South Korea beat the Czech Republic 2-1 and lost 1-0 to both Mexico and South Africa. On 6 October 2026, in his 151st international, he scored a free kick in a 2-0 friendly win over Uzbekistan for his 59th goal for his country, passing Cha Bum-kun’s 58 to become the men’s national team’s all-time top scorer.