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Japanese media names Son Heung-min among World Cup's worst performers
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea /Sports

Japanese media names Son Heung-min among World Cup's worst performers

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A Japanese media outlet named Son Heung-min as one of the worst-performing players in the 2026 World Cup group stage.
  • The outlet noted that not only Son's individual performance but also the South Korean team's failure to utilize his strengths contributed to the disappointment.
  • Son was included in the list alongside players like Federico Valverde and Fernando Muslera of Uruguay, Kenan Yฤฑldฤฑz of Turkey, and Patrik Schick of the Czech Republic.

Japanese media outlet Football Channel has listed Son Heung-min among the five most disappointing players of the 2026 World Cup group stage. The outlet cited that the South Korean captain did not live up to expectations in a tournament that could be his last.

Football Channel reported that Son faced criticism both on and off the field during the tournament, and his performance left much to be desired. He played approximately 69 minutes in the first match against the Czech Republic, managing only one shot on target. His teammate Oh Hyun-gyu scored the winning goal after coming on as a substitute.

Son was named alongside Federico Valverde and Fernando Muslera of Uruguay, Kenan Yฤฑldฤฑz of Turkey, and Patrik Schick of the Czech Republic on the list of underperformers. The outlet suggested that the South Korean team struggled to leverage Son's strengths effectively, contributing to the overall disappointment.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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