Captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham) explained that his “3-0 gesture” to the Chinese crowd was an act on behalf of South Korean soccer.
Son Heung-min played the full 90 minutes in South Korea’s 1-0 win over China in the sixth Group C match of the FIFA Confederations Cup North America 2026 Asia-Pacific second qualifying round at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Nov. 11.
After the game, Son said: “It wasn’t easy, but we managed to keep a clean sheet without conceding any threatening shots. It wasn’t a perfect game, but we stayed calm and created good chances, which led to the victory.”
“It’s a shame because we could have won by a lot more if we had capitalized on our scoring chances. But I’m happy that we dominated the whole game. I would like to thank my teammates who scored a lot of goals without conceding a goal in two consecutive games in June.”
With the win, South Korea clinched the No. 1 seed in the third Asian qualifying round, avoiding Japan and Iran.
“It’s not that important (to be drawn first),” said Son Heung-min. The third qualifier will not be easy every game,” said Son, adding, ”If we play prepared, good results will follow. During the A-Match call-up in June, I paid attention to every single thing I did, and I’m proud to be the captain because my teammates followed me well and the results were good.”
Son, who finished the 2023-24 season with 17 goals and 10 assists for Tottenham, will take a break after the China game to prepare for the 2024-25 season.
“It was fun to play the last match of the season in Korea,” said Son Heung-min. We received a lot of support and achieved the beauty of the tournament. I am truly grateful to the fans,” he said.
Heung-min also reached 127 career A-Match appearances on the day, tying him with Lee Young-pyo for fourth place on the all-time list.
“I’m honored to have played so many A-Matches, and I’m grateful to be in good health. The coaching staff and teammates helped me a lot to achieve this record,” he said, adding, ‘I want to play as much as possible for the A national team and deliver joy to the fans. I want to repay them for their support and love.’
On this day, Son Heung-min was a menace on the left flank, neutralizing the opposing defense on several occasions.
At one point in the game, he showed his captain’s character by calmly responding to provocations from Chinese fans. In particular, midway through the first half, Son made the number “3-0” with his fingers to represent the result against China last November.
“I didn’t do anything to get booed at the time, but the Chinese fans did. I couldn’t accept that kind of behavior from opposing fans at our home stadium. I felt that they were disrespecting 바카라 Korean fans,” he said, explaining that the gesture showed how Korea had defeated China in the previous match.
“I think the Korean team handled the provocation very well, staying calm and not letting it get to them. Above all, we played a good game and won,” he said, expressing satisfaction.
After firing Jürgen Klinsmann in February, South Korea failed to appoint a replacement, handing the reins to Hwang Sun-hong in March and then Kim Do-hoon in June for the second round of World Cup qualifying.
“In soccer, individual ability is important, but discipline and promised movement are the most important,” Son said of the national team’s messy situation. Korean soccer needs to set a clear path in this regard,” he said, emphasizing that deciding on a direction is a priority for the new coach.
“There are many good players in the Korean national team. (Even if it takes time, it’s important to choose the right and safe path,“ he said, adding, ‘I would like to ask the media and fans not to rush the process and say, ’Let’s bring in a certain coach,’ but to watch the process slowly.”
After a successful 2023-24 season, Son Heung-min has been heavily linked with a new contract at Tottenham. His contract with Spurs expires in 2025, and there have been recent reports that Spurs are planning a one-year extension with an option.
“I’m not in a position to talk about it yet. I’m not comfortable with a lot of talk because there are no concrete details. I don’t want to focus on my contract because I still have a year left on it. I’m just going to focus on my role,” Heung-min said.
“I’ve done my best for the team and I’ll continue to do my best. I promised earlier that I want to bring something to Tottenham, and I’ll try to fulfill that promise,” he added, vowing to focus on his current club.