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Eight years ago, Mexico fell in love with Son Heung-min. Now it has to stop him.
He's been called "brother" ever since Korea's surprise win helped El Tri advance to the round of 16 in 2018, but on match day, he's someone else to the home fans: the biggest threat.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Two days ahead of Korea meeting Mexico in their second match at the FIFA World Cup 2026, a taco joint in Guadalajara was doing some roaring business.
The reason: a Korean customer. But not just any Korean.
"Business has picked up since Son Heung-min came by," said a server named Alan. "Everyone wants what he ordered." He pointed to the so-called Son Heung-min set menu: thin-sliced al pastor pork and tender arrachera, or skirt steak.
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Son had stopped in on a day off three days earlier, after Korea's 2-1 win over the Czech Republic, and the visit made news. Fox Sports Mexico ran the footage and story, down to the exact order, reporting that Son's group had al pastor, arrachera and guacamole, with the cilantro left out of the dip.
"You can't dislike Sonny," the broadcaster said, and the reporter joked that he hoped the tacos wouldn't upset the players' stomachs.
His face is moving merchandise, too. McDonald's, a World Cup sponsor, is handing out cups stamped with one of eight football stars to customers in Mexico who order a set menu. The one bearing Son, with his trademark camera-click goal celebration and the Korean team's white tiger, is so sought-after that fans trek to three or four different outlets looking for it. It is outselling the David Beckham and Ronaldinho cups by a wide margin. The Korean national team jersey sold out long ago in stores.
Spot Son on the street and Mexicans will call out "Gracias, Son" and "Son, brother, you're one of us now."
The affection dates back to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, when Korea surprisingly beat Germany 2-0 and sent Mexico through to the round of 16 even though it had just lost 0-3 to Sweden. Son sealed that win, sprinting to a long ball to finish into an empty net during stoppage time as the defending champions crashed out. The moment never left the collective Mexican memory, and it made Son an unforgettable name for many.
Son was even handed a sombrero when he landed in Mexico for the World Cup, with the footballer playing along.
"I'm learning so much from Mexicans' love and passion for football," he said.
With K-pop and Korean dramas riding high, simply being Korean now reads as a mark of coolness on the streets of Guadalajara. Even Korean reporters covering the World Cup get stopped for selfies.
Fans may have fond memories of days past. However, once on the pitch, the game of football is not sentimental. As the second match nears, kicking off at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday in Guadalajara, the man who played savior to 133 million Mexicans eight years ago now looms as the opponent they most fear.
Asked to name the one player to watch, ESPN Mexico's reporter Ricardo Cariño did not pause. "Son Heung-min, without a doubt," he said. Cuauhtémoc Blanco, the former Mexico striker, agreed. "Son pulls a defense apart," he said. "You have to stay tight to him so he can't get loose in dangerous areas."
Son arrives in form. In the opener against the Czech Republic, he fired off six shots and clocked the fastest sprint of the match, 35.2 kilometers per hour (21.9 miles per hour). He has a history of punishing Mexico, too, with a curling finish past them at the 2018 World Cup and a first-time volley into their net in a friendly last September. One more goal at this tournament would lift him past Park Ji-sung and Ahn Jung-hwan, with whom he shares Korea's record of three World Cup goals, to stand alone as the country's top scorer on the game's biggest stage.
Jorge Campos, the flamboyant Mexican goalkeeping great, is unbothered, however. "Mexico will pay back the favor from eight years ago, so we'll be in the round of 32," he laughed. "No need to come to Mexico City, go to another city." Mexico expects to win the group and play its round-of-32 tie in Mexico City, leaving Korea to advance as a runner-up or third-place team, and to play elsewhere.
Stuck at work or school when Korea kick off? We've got you covered. The Korea JoongAng Daily is live-blogging every Korea match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, around the clock. Don't miss a moment.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK LIN [[email protected]]