Looking at Son Heung-min's muscular physique, standing at 1.83 meters tall, and his blistering runs on top-level pitches, few would imagine that the foundation for such a physique is supported by feet of modest size. The 34-year-old striker has smaller feet than the average adult Korean man. He wears shoe sizes ranging from 255 to 265 mm, depending on the condition of his feet before each match. Behind those meticulously measured football boots lies a reality Son is reluctant to reveal to the public: constantly chipped toenails, swollen and bruised toes... This is the price of thousands of hours of grueling training and competition since childhood in Chuncheon, South Korea, where he regularly took 500 shots a day under the strict supervision of his father.
It was those small, rough, and often injured feet that propelled Son Heung-min to become the best Asian player in history to ever play in Europe. Compared to his predecessor Park Ji-sung, who achieved the greatest success in terms of collective titles with his collection of Premier League and UEFA Champions League trophies with Manchester United, Son Heung-min reached a different level. The most demanding league on the planet – the Premier League, which requires speed, stamina, and tactical thinking – became the stage for Son to assert his position as a star player carrying the team. His classic sprints, powerful shots with both feet, and the pinnacle of his success – the English Golden Boot in the 2021-2022 season, before reaching 100 goals in England (the first Asian player to achieve this) – are testaments to the class of the South Korean striker. Son is not just a link in a winning team; he is also a player who can decide the fate of a match, the "driving force" that led Tottenham to the historic Champions League final of the 2018-2019 season.
At 34 years old, Son Heung-min remains the top scorer for the South Korean national team.
PHOTO: AFP
As the world of football looks forward to the big tournament, Son Heung-min's prominence becomes even more special when compared to his neighbor, Japan. The Japanese team may be the most exciting Asian team to watch right now, thanks to their cohesive team play, absolute discipline, and the courageous spirit of their "samurai warriors." However, Japan is like a uniform crystal, where no individual stands out. Son Heung-min and the South Korean team, on the other hand, are the opposite. The 34-year-old star is a personal legend, one of Asia's best strikers who once dominated European football.
Entering the 2026 World Cup, Son Heung-min will be past his peak and no longer playing in the English Premier League. Nevertheless, the striker, currently playing for Los Angeles FC (USA), remains the brightest star and the heart of coach Hong Myung-bo's tactical scheme. South Korean fans still place great expectations on their captain. Son's small feet carry a huge mission: to help the South Korean national team replicate or continue the historical feats they achieved on home soil in the early 21st century. Amidst the fervent atmosphere of the biggest football festival on the planet, people are waiting to see Son Heung-min's graceful runs, to prove that physical limitations are never the measure of a player's greatness, and that a pair of scarred legs can still carry the aspirations of an entire football nation.