South Korea and Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-Min hinted at retirement after the FIFA World Cup 2026, while announcing his exit from Tottenham Hotspur before the 2025-26 season on Friday.
The 33-year-old won the Europa League last season with Spurs, their first major trophy in 17 years, and spent ten years on the Premier League side, and scored 173 goals in 454 performances.
«When I arrived in Tottenham for the first time 10 years ago, I was a young boy who couldn’t even speak English well. I am leaving now as a man. I believe that timing is crucial to say goodbye and now feel the right moment,» Son said.
Related: Son Heung-Min brings Europa League trophy to South Korea
Moreover, he emphasized that international football will remain of the utmost importance for him at the twilight of his career.
«The World Cup is the most important thing. It can be my last world cup, so it is crucial that I give it all. It is also important to find a place where I can happily play football. That’s what I am considering,» he added.
Son made his senior international debut against Syria before the AFC Asian Cup 2011 and has 51 international goals, the second highest in South Korean football, after Cha Bum-Kun.
Although he has won the Olympic gold medal with the Under-23-side at the Asian Games of 2018, he has not succeeded in winning a large international trophy with the senior team so far that he will change in the World Cup next year.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(974x309:976x311)/britt-lower-emmys-121925-2aaf81a644da4786b09fefe47ef9b04b.jpg?w=238&resize=238,178&ssl=1 "Britt Lower llama a su desfile de Navidad con su esposo ‘el día favorito del año’ (exclusivo)")
