Captain of the national team Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) was not swayed by various trials.

The football team led by coach Hong Myung-bo will face Kuwait in the 10th match of Group B in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 10th.

Korea achieved a 2-0 victory in Iraq away on the 6th, thanks to consecutive goals by Kim Jin-kyu and Oh Hyun-kyu. Thus, Korea recorded 5 wins, 4 draws (19 points) and secured at least second place in the group with one match remaining, obtaining a ticket to the World Cup finals.

Despite qualifying for the 11th consecutive World Cup finals, the players could not rejoice excessively. Iraq is a travel-restricted country, so they could not receive support from Korean fans. The national team returned home on a chartered flight and was convened again at Paju NFC on the 8th after a short rest.

Recently, Son Heung-min has faced various incidents. He finally relieved Tottenham's 10-year winless anguish with the Europa League victory. After winning in Bilbao, Spain, he returned to London, England, and held a car parade. He truly relieved the frustrations of Tottenham fans.

However, Son Heung-min is not in a position to rejoice too much. The Tottenham club needs to seriously discuss re-signing Son Heung-min. Yet, rumors of a transfer to Saudi Arabia continue to circulate. Daniel Levy, Tottenham's chairman, has even dismissed manager Ange Postecoglou. There are dark prospects that Son Heung-min, who has risen to legend status, could be sold if offered a substantial amount from Saudi Arabia.

In the midst of this, personal issues have also erupted. A woman claiming to be pregnant with Son Heung-min's child alleged that she and a group of men demanded a large sum of money. Son Heung-min previously paid 300 million won to the woman as damages. When the perpetrators demanded more money, Son Heung-min also took legal action. Ultimately, the extortionists have been detained and are awaiting legal judgment.

After achieving the victory in the Europa League, Son Heung-min, aware of the personal issues, was seen shedding tears.

Son Heung-min, whose foot injury is not 100% healed, missed the match against Iraq. However, his younger teammates played brilliantly, securing a 2-0 victory and confirming their 11th consecutive qualification for the World Cup. Son Heung-min also rejoiced on the bench. He is likely to miss the match against Kuwait as well.

A football association official explained, "Son Heung-min is in a condition to play. However, he did not play (against Iraq) as a precaution."

The atmosphere of the national team ahead of the match against Kuwait was bright. The Hong Myung-bo team lightly received massages and taping before doing proper stretching to loosen up. Coach Hong Myung-bo emphasized 'competition' to the players. Even though they have already qualified for the World Cup, the players who will go there have not yet been completely determined. He urged the players to work harder.

The players warmed up by running and then began formal training. Players who played a lot in the match against Iraq did recovery training, while the rest immediately engaged in sprint training. Since Coach Hong Myung-bo proclaimed the use of new players in the match against Kuwait, the young players eager to play as starters were even more motivated.

Captain Son Heung-min participated in all training sessions without exception. He shouted to his younger teammates, "Do your best!" and led the training atmosphere. Son Heung-min showed tight performance in the mini ball-stealing training as if it were an actual game. He also displayed tremendous competitiveness during the game.

Younger players feel reassured just by the fact that a legend who has won the Europa League is the captain of the national team.

Oh Hyun-kyu said, "I have been a fan of Hyung-min since I was young. I'm happy and respectful that Hyung-min has won in a tournament where only strong European teams compete," looking up to Son Heung-min.

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