Son Heung-Min of the MLS All-Stars celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the 2026 MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 29.GETTY IMAGES
Son Heung-min of Los Angeles FC (LAFC) scored twice during the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday, leading his team to a 4-3 comeback victory over Mexico's Liga MX All-Stars.
Son started as the lone striker and scored back-to-back goals in the 20th and 23rd minutes of the first half of the match at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
They were his first-ever all-star game goals since turning professional in 2010. European professional football has no equivalent match and Son has spent most of his career in Europe — with Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen in Germany and Tottenham Hotspur in England — before joining LAFC last year.
His goals came as the MLS All-Stars trailed 0-1 in the 20th minute. Son received a pass from Carles Gil, drove into space on the left flank, then curled a precise shot into the right corner of the net from inside the penalty box to equalize. Three minutes later, he finished off a cutback pass that Gil squared from the right goal line, driving home a spectacular half-volley to complete the comeback.
The MLS website credited Son's first-half performance with carrying the MLS All-Stars to victory, calling his goals the highlight of the match; the site's coverage was dominated by images of his goal celebrations.
The brace extended Son's scoring streak to four straight matches, including three consecutive goals for LAFC.
Son Heung-min of the MLS All-Stars, far left, celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the 2026 MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 29.GETTY IMAGES
Having made his mark early, Son was substituted along with five other players in the 35th minute and spent the rest of the match on the bench.
He was named the match's Most Valuable Player after the game.
"These are amazing players and I didn't have to do much," Son told reporters after coming off the field. "It was pure joy."
He added, "Spending three days together with the group had been a wonderful experience."
Update, July 30: Match results and MVP award information added.
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.
