Son eyes MLS move for final World Cup

"I shared a lot yesterday, so I hope you’ll give me a break today."

That was Son Heung-min’s response to reporters after Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle in a friendly match Saturday at Seoul World Cup Stadium. When asked if he could disclose his next club, the 33-year-old replied, “Nothing has been decided yet,” declining to name a destination despite having announced his departure from Tottenham a day earlier.

The “information” Son referred to likely points to what he said the previous day about his priorities in selecting a new team. “The 2026 World Cup is the most important factor,” he said. “It might be my last World Cup, so I need an environment where I can give everything I have.” With media outlets in the United States and Britain reporting that Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC is negotiating with Son, his remarks appeared to support the possibility of a move to the U.S., which will co-host the 2026 World Cup with Canada and Mexico.

Los Angeles FC, considered a leading candidate to sign Son, was founded in 2014 and is co-owned by NBA legend Magic Johnson and former Major League Baseball shortstop Nomar Garciaparra. As of Sunday, the club sits in sixth place in the MLS Western Conference. No player on the current roster wears Son’s trademark No. 7 jersey.

If Son joins LAFC, he would be reunited with a former teammate. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who captained Tottenham before Son, transferred to LAFC last year and now anchors the defense. Head coach Steve Cherundolo, 46, also has a history with Son from his playing days in Germany’s Bundesliga. In a 2012 match, Son, then with Hamburg, scored the game-winning goal against Cherundolo’s Hannover, a clip that has recently resurfaced online.

Major League Soccer features 30 teams divided evenly between the Eastern and Western Conferences. Each team plays 34 regular-season games. The top seven clubs from each conference advance to the playoffs, while the eighth- and ninth-place teams face off in a single-elimination match to claim the final spot. The conference champions then meet in a one-game final to determine the league title.


한종호 hjh@donga.com