Son Heung Min, captain of South Korea’s national soccer team and forward for Tottenham, promised to create a happy year for soccer fans next year after completing the team’s final international match of a turbulent 2024.
Under head coach Hong Myung Bo, the South Korean national soccer team drew 1-1 against Palestine on Tuesday in their sixth match of the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held at Amman International Stadium in Jordan.
Although South Korea missed out on a fifth consecutive win, they maintained their unbeaten streak of six matches (four wins, two draws, 14 points) and their position atop Group B.
With the match against Palestine, South Korea concluded its international match schedule 2024, which included the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar and the third round of World Cup qualifiers.
Despite facing challenges, South Korean soccer found hope towards the end of the year.
Under coach Jürgen Klinsmann’s leadership, the Asian Cup ended with a shocking semifinal loss to Jordan. However, despite its tumultuous start, Hong’s team led the World Cup third-round qualifiers unbeaten.
Reflecting on the year, Son described 2024 as a busy year with many matches, acknowledging that “we experienced a lot but ultimately fell short—sometimes by 2%, sometimes by as much as 10%, which is disappointing.”
He expressed hope that the players will unite next year to create a year that brings joy to soccer fans.
In Tuesday’s match, South Korea conceded a goal in the 12th minute following a defensive error but managed to equalize just four minutes later in the 16th minute with a goal from Son, avoiding a loss.
Son remarked, “It wasn’t an easy match. Our mistakes made the game difficult, but we rebounded quickly after conceding by scoring a goal.” He added, “It’s disappointing not to have won, but we’ll prepare well for the upcoming matches to achieve better results.”
Son commended Palestine, which secured two draws against South Korea despite ongoing conflicts, stating that their determination under challenging circumstances was admirable and taught valuable lessons.