Son Heung-min and South Korea's 2026 World Cup Path

Why this feels like Son’s moment

Son’s World Cup story has mirrored his career arc.

• In 2014, he arrived as a gifted attacker, not yet the centre of everything.
• By 2018 and 2022, he had become the player opponents feared and teammates looked for.
• Now, he goes to 2026 as the undisputed reference point.

That matters because tournament football often turns on one decisive action. Son still looks capable of providing it: a carry in transition, a finish from the left, a final pass under pressure. Even as modern stars extend their careers deeper into their thirties, this still feels like the tournament where everything converges for him.

A group with opportunity

The report says South Korea have been placed in Group A with Czechia, Mexico and South Africa, with the opener against Czechia on 11 June. On paper, that is not an easy section, but it is one Korea can attack rather than merely survive.

• Mexico bring pedigree and intensity.
• Czechia are usually structured and difficult to break down.
• South Africa offer athleticism and unpredictability.

For Korea, the key may be the first game. Start well against Czechia, and the group begins to open up. Start slowly, and the pressure on Son to rescue the campaign grows immediately.

The support around him

This is not a one-man squad.

With Kim Min-jae at the back, Lee Kang-in between the lines, and experienced midfielders such as Hwang In-beom and Lee Jae-sung, Korea appear to have enough quality to compete. The question is depth: when matches stretch, can the side sustain the level around its captain?

That is the storyline to watch when South Korea kick off on 11 June. If Son can set the tone early, this may yet become the World Cup where his influence finally carries Korea beyond the familiar edge of the knockout stage.