In less than a month, Korea's footballers will fight for more than goals in the FIFA World Cup 2026 — they will take the field to test their trust, unity and ability to overcome past animosity.

At the center of it all are Son Heung-min of Los Angeles FC of the MLS and Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain of Ligue 1. Both secured their spots on Korea’s final 26-man World Cup squad announced on Saturday.


The relationship between the two stars, who sit nine years apart in age, was once almost quite literally fractured by a controversy over table tennis just two years ago.

The conflict began the night before Korea’s Asian Cup semifinal in February 2024, when Lee went to play table tennis after dinner despite Son’s opposition to the idea. Their disagreement later escalated into a scuffle which led to an injury to Son.

Son still played the next day with heavily taped fingers despite suffering a dislocation, but Korea lost the match to Jordan 0-2. Later that night, Son was so upset he reportedly broke down in his father's arms.

Lee later flew to London to apologize in person, and Son Heung-min accepted. Son was playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at the time.

Then about a month later, Son and Lee displayed a public moment of reconciliation — complete with hugs and grins — after combining for a goal at the FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier in Bangkok on March 26, 2024. Lee delivered a razor-sharp pass that Son converted into a score.

Yet the controversy still left a stain on Lee’s well-polished, upstanding image, which he had been cultivating ever since his appearance as a child footballer on the reality show “Fly Shoot Dori” (2005-2009).

Now 25 and fully in his prime, Lee has emerged as the tactical centerpiece and ace of the national team.

At his French club, he established himself as a key rotation player on the UEFA Champions League stage. Former clubmate Kylian Mbappé once advised him “not to strike every shot with power but to guide the ball softly instead.” The advice is widely credited with sharpening Lee’s understanding of the game. These days, even younger teammates look to him for guidance.

Son, meanwhile, is moving toward the twilight of his career. He has already worn the captain’s armband for Korea 63 times.

Since moving to LAFC in the MLS, he has embraced more of a supporting role on the field with 15 assists this season. But he has also endured a difficult run, going 11 straight matches without a goal.

The chemistry between Son and Lee on the field is electrifying yet fragile.

Lee thrives on drifting inside from the wing and threading precise passes through tight spaces, while Son prefers to attack directly with explosive runs and dribbles. Their movements can sometimes overlap, however. Even on free kicks, a quiet tension remains: As both are sharp strikers, an unspoken competition over set-piece duties continues even today.

Against stronger teams at the World Cup, Korea cannot afford to let both Son and Lee stay attack-minded at the same time. One must drop deeper and join the defense.

As the match against Thailand in March 2024 showed, the pairing can be effective when Lee plays the killer pass and Son explodes onto it.

Although Son has remained quiet in front of opponents' goalposts in recent matches, Korean national team head coach Hong Myung-bo recently defended him.

“Son Heung-min had fewer chances of scoring because he was playing a step behind the front at the Los Angeles club,” Hong said during Saturday's press conference that announced the final roster for the upcoming World Cup.

The head coach also praised Lee, calling him “an extremely intelligent player with a good head on his shoulders” after closely observing him over the past two years.

Lee, meanwhile, publicly supported Hong when the coach came under fire last year, calling him “our boss.”

Given Son’s age, the 2026 FIFA World Cup could be the last time he and Lee share the pitch for Korea.

Son, who was the Premier League’s top scorer in the 2021-22 season, has never advanced to the quarterfinals the at a World Cup. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Team Korea had to return home after being defeated by Brazil in their Round of 16 match.

“I moved to LAFC for the World Cup,” Son said.

The upcoming World Cup will be Son’s defining moment. Although Lee will likely have more chances ahead, he may never again share the field with a forward quite like Son.

In the end, the question is not who shines brighter. What Korea needs is not rivalry, but the sincerity Son and Lee showed in that embrace beneath that night sky in Bangkok back in 2024.

United, they remain capable of shaking the world. However, if they compete against each other, they take the risk of turning this World Cup into a blemish on both of their careers.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK LIN [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]