Son Heung-min meets Brazil stars in landmark match

Can Son Heung-min, Los Angeles FC’s “Super Sonny,” score a milestone goal against Brazil?

South Korea’s national team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, will face Brazil in a friendly at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on Oct. 10. If captain Son plays, he will become the all-time leader in appearances for a South Korean male player in A-level matches with 137 games. As of Oct. 9, he is tied with former national coach Cha Bum-kun at 136 matches.

South Korea’s record against five-time World Cup champion Brazil stands at one win and seven losses. The lone victory came in a 1999 friendly at Seoul’s Jamsil Olympic Stadium, when Kim Do-hoon scored in the 90th minute to secure a 1-0 win over a Brazilian squad that included stars such as Hilderaldo Bellini and Cafu.

Since his senior national team debut in 2010, Son has faced Brazil four times, losing each match. Despite scoring 53 international goals, he has yet to score against Brazil. During the 2022 Qatar World Cup, he played in a protective mask after fracturing his orbital bone, and South Korea lost 4-1 in the Round of 16, with midfielder Paik Seung-ho scoring to avoid a shutout.

Nearly three years later, Son will aim to avenge those defeats. Since transferring from Tottenham Hotspur to Los Angeles FC in August, he has scored seven goals in five Major League Soccer matches. He also scored in last month’s friendlies against the United States and Mexico. South Korea, ranked 23rd by FIFA, defeated 16th-ranked the U.S. 2-0 and drew 2-2 with 14th-ranked Mexico, with Son leading the attack.

Brazil’s squad visiting South Korea features winger Vinicius Junior, who scored 22 goals for Real Madrid in the 2024-25 season, striker Richarlison of Tottenham, and defensive midfielder Casemiro of Manchester United. Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 international goals, is sidelined by injury.

Recently, Brazil has not displayed the dominant form of the past. The team finished fifth in South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, earning the final direct spot, and its FIFA ranking fell to sixth. To drive a resurgence, Brazil appointed Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, a five-time UEFA Champions League winner, in May. This marks the first time in 60 years that Brazil has named a foreign manager to lead the national team.


Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com