Son Heung-min apologizes for loss: 'I don't have much to say'
Storied team captain, benched for the first half of crucial match against South Africa, was unable to explain how Korea's team has fared so poorly in group play.
Footballer Son Heung-min holds his head in disappointment after Korea's 1-0 loss to South Africa in its final Group A match at the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 24.KANG JUNG-HYUN
MONTERREY, Mexico — At the end of his team's final Group A match at the FIFA World Cup 2026, Taeguk Warriors’ team captain Son Heung-min was seen burying his head in disappointment over the reality that Korea can no longer secure a place in the World Cup knockout stage on its own.
The shocking 1-0 defeat to South Africa on Wednesday dropped Korea from second to third in Group A rankings, behind Mexico and South Africa. The Taeguk Warriors must now wait for the remaining group-stage matches to finish to find out whether they can advance to the Round of 32 as one of the tournament's eight best third-place teams.
Manager Hong Myung-bo made the bold decision to leave Son out of the starting lineup during the game. The captain failed to score in both of Korea's first two matches and received criticism for his performance.
Son started the game on the bench. He then entered the match alongside Korean midfielder Jens Castrop in the second half, but was unable to change the outcome.
"I don't have much to say," Son said. "[I] feel sorry for not being able to help the team more on the field and watching the team lose.”
The 2026 tournament marks Son's fourth World Cup appearance after making his debut at the 2014 tournament in Brazil. As Korea's captain, he has been at the center of many of the team's biggest moments on football's biggest stage.
"We're now in a situation we never wanted, waiting to see if we can advance as a third-place team," Son said. "We gave everything we had, but we didn't get the result we wanted. It's no longer in our hands. Whatever happens, we'll have to accept it."
Korean footballer Seol Young-woo, left, sits down in disappointment after a 1-0 loss to South Africa in the final Group A match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 24.YONHAP
He added that the entire team, including him, is very disappointed.
"It's frustrating when the games don’t go well despite the hard work,” added Son.
Son refused to make any excuses for the defeat, including the hot weather.
"We weren't the only teams playing in this [hot] weather," Son said. "Everyone played under the same conditions. We need to take a holistic approach to find out what really went wrong.”
When asked about criticism over his position on the field, Son brushed it aside.
"I don't have anything special to say about that," Son said. "I know where and how I should play. I know what my role is when I step onto the pitch, even without the manager having to tell me.”
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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.
