Son Heung-min outpaces Mbappé with top sprint speed of 35.2 km/h

Despite not scoring or assisting in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Son Heung-min demonstrated his enduring world-class speed at 34 years old. The LA FC forward recorded a top sprint speed of 35.2 km/h during the group stage's first match, according to a BBC report citing FIFA data.

This speed placed Son jointly in 7th place among players from 48 nations, ahead of French star Kylian Mbappé, who was recorded at 35.1 km/h during the same period. Son started and played 69 minutes in South Korea's opening Group A match against the Czech Republic on June 12, leading the team's attack with several threatening movements.

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Son Heung-min recorded a top sprint speed of 35.2 km/h during the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ranking him 7th overall.

The fastest sprint recorded in the initial matches belonged to Australian defender Joël King, who reached a speed of 36.7 km/h during a match against Turkey. Norwegian striker Erling Haaland and Abdukodir Khusainov of Uzbekistan shared second place with sprints of 36.5 km/h. Mohamed Touré of Australia followed with a speed of 35.8 km/h.

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This is 35.1 km/h, which is faster than Kylian Mbappé.