Amidst all the love between South Korea and Mexico during the 2026 World Cup, the two nations are set to face off against each other on Thursday, June 18th at 9 p.m. Eastern Time (6 p.m. Pacific Time) in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The stakes are high for both squads after earning three points, respectively, as a result of victories against South Africa and Czechia. For Son Heung-min, who’s playing in his fourth World Cup, he remains South Korea’s heartbeat of the squad, even as he’s approaching his 34th birthday.
“I’m very happy to be back on the World Cup pitch, which is something I dreamed of from a very young age,” Son said. “Whether it’s my first World Cup or fourth World Cup, I feel like a young boy again. This is the stage of dreams.”
South Korea will need his ‘youthful energy’ facing off against Mexico.
South Korea Star Son Heung-min Sends Message on Facing Mexico
GettySouth Korea’s forward Son Heung-min (C) fights for the ball with Mexico’s defender Carlos Salcedo (L) and Mexico’s defender Jesus Gallardo during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group F football match between South Korea and Mexico.
With Mexico playing on home soil, South Korean star Son Heung-min knows his squad will have an uphill battle against what he thinks has been his toughest international opponent.
“Obviously, I think when you’re hosting the World Cup, there’s a lot of benefits, a lot of home fans, a lot of advantages but it is how it is in football and we love that and that’s why we love underdogs, and I would love to, obviously I’m in LA, I’ve seen a lot of Mexican footballers and Mexican fans and I love them and yeah it’s going to be fun and obviously we’re gonna fight for the wins and it’s going to be a really good experience so I already played once against Mexico in 2018 in the World Cup so yeah,” Son said. “Mexico has always been the toughest opponent and great, great quality players, so yeah we look forward to a big match.”
Beyond Mexico’s talented roster, Son emphasized the challenge of facing a team backed by passionate supporters, with Mexico’s combination of technical quality, experience in major tournaments, and a strong presence that has clearly left a lasting impression on Son, who views El Tri as one of the most difficult opponents South Korea will face off against.
Son Dives Into Playing in the World Cup
Son Heung-min had plenty more to talk about when it comes to playing in his fourth World Cup:
“I think during [the last World Cup in] Qatar, we showed a lot of strength but also had losses and failures. I think those are lessons that we have learned from going forward. Of course, we are a little bit more mature and experienced. There are some changes [in personnel] but our mindset on the world stage is the same. The atmosphere, right from the beginning now, is no problem at all. And whenever I see my teammates working so hard for the team, for Korea, sometimes I even have to calm them down. We’re very prepared and I hope that we will get a good result tomorrow because I’m sure they [his teammates] deserve it.”
In 11 games (including the last match against Czechia), Son has three goals, one assist, and nine shots on goal for the South Korean national soccer team. He’ll look to improve his statistics against Mexico on Thursday.
South Korea Star Son Heung-min Sends Message on Facing Mexico