Captain Ties for Fourth on All-Time Appearance List

Courtesy of Son Heung-min's instagram

South Korea’s national football team captain, Son Heung-min, earned his 127th cap on Tuesday, tying him for fourth place on the country's all-time appearances list. The milestone was reached during South Korea's World Cup qualifying match against China, held at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Son, who started in the lineup for the host team, now shares the fourth position with former left back Lee Young-pyo. The record for most caps is held jointly by retired football legends Cha Bum-kun and Hong Myung-bo, each with 136 caps.
 

▲ Courtesy of Son Heung-min's instagramTuesday's match against China was the final contest in Group C for both countries in the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. South Korea, having secured the top spot in the group with 13 points from five matches, has already advanced to the third round, which begins in September.

Last Thursday, South Korea achieved a 7-0 victory over Singapore, in which Son scored two goals, bringing his international tally to 48. He is now just two goals shy of former striker Hwang Sun-hong, who ranks second on South Korea’s all-time goal-scoring list. Cha Bum-kun remains the leading scorer with 58 goals.

Son, who will turn 32 in July, expressed optimism about his future performance, stating, “Physically, I am feeling better than ever. I'd love to play even better football going forward.”

Sayart 

Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com