I lifted the trophy at the club. Now only the grand finale remains with the national team.

The South Korea national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, faced Kuwait at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Oct. 10 in the 10th match of Group B of the final Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, winning decisively 4-0.

With this victory, Korea finished the final qualifiers undefeated, earning 22 points (6 wins, 4 draws).

Already, Korea secured second place or higher in the group with 5 wins and 4 draws (19 points) by beating Iraq 2-0 away on the 6th, with consecutive goals from Kim Jin-kyu and Oh Hyun-kyu, early securing their 11th consecutive World Cup finals appearance. This match, finishing with a 4-0 victory, became a celebration where the qualified national team shared the joy with their home fans.

Korea recorded an unbeaten final qualifier for the first time in 15 years since 2010. After unfortunately losing in the away match against the UAE on March 29, 2022, they failed to remain unbeaten in the 2022 Qatar World Cup Asian final qualifiers but this time finished pleasantly without a loss.

Korea took the lead with Jeon Jin-woo's opening goal in the 30th minute of the first half, and in the 6th and 9th minutes of the second half, Lee Kang-in and Oh Hyun-kyu scored consecutively, gaining momentum. Following that, in the 27th minute of the second half, Lee Jae-sung, who was substituted in, scored the fourth goal, achieving a perfect victory.

In this match, Son Heung-min was listed on the substitute bench but was substituted for Oh Hyun-kyu in the 30th minute of the second half and played in front of over 41,000 home fans. Participating in his 134th A-match, Son Heung-min rose to third place for the most appearances in A-matches for South Korea. Despite being injured, he participated in this A-match for the fans.

Receiving the captain's armband from Hwang In-bum, Son Heung-min had played 133 A-matches before this game, tying with Lee Woon-jae (133 matches). By successfully appearing in this match, Son Heung-min narrowed the gap to two matches with the record holders, former national team coach Cha Bum-kun and Hong Myung-bo (both 136 matches), putting him close to the all-time record.

After the match, the South Korea squad re-entered the field to communicate with fans. Captain Son Heung-min said, "Hello, I am footballer Son Heung-min," and added, "I would like to sincerely thank everyone. It seems that the players here, as well as those who have been with us since the second qualifiers, have achieved our dream of the World Cup. I will do my best, so please support us from behind."

This season, while lifting the UEFA Europa League trophy with Tottenham Hotspur, Son Heung-min achieved his first major tournament victory in his career. He expressed, "I feel like I have accomplished everything I wanted to achieve in football. Football is played to win, and only the winners are remembered. Despite being a challenging season, experiencing the sport I was passionate about since childhood made me want to do better."

He continued, "There are parts I feel disappointed about, but it was really a happy season, and I am glad that I could share this moment I love with the supporters who cheered for me, even if it is late."

Meanwhile, this North and Central America World Cup is likely to be Son Heung-min's "last dance." At this point, he is the record holder for the most appearances in the South Korea national team and has a high probability of breaking all records, including the most World Cups. Literally, he has a high chance of leading and creating a new myth.

Son Heung-min's determination regarding the North and Central America World Cup, which is likely to be his last dance in many ways, was clearly evident in the final match against Kuwait. With the best ever South Korean team and the stakes of Son Heung-min's last dance on the line, it will be noteworthy to see how the national team players perform.

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