Son Heung-min Apologizes for South Korea's World Cup Exit

Son Heung-min, the captain of the South Korea National Football Team, issued an apology following the team's early exit from the 2026 World Cup. South Korea lost their opening game to Mexico and subsequently lost two more matches, finishing third in their group and failing to qualify for the knockout stage.

The team was beaten 1-0 by South Africa, which left them outside the eight best third-place teams. Son, a former Tottenham Hotspur forward who joined LA FC in August, expressed his disappointment and acknowledged the pain felt by fans.

He stated, "I don’t want to escape reality," and emphasized the importance of support from fans rather than criticism. South Korea has not reached the knockout stage since the 2022 World Cup, where they lost 4-1 to Brazil in the Round of 16.

Head coach Sundai and President Lee Jae-myung have called for an investigation into the team's performance.