It is the greatest stage in all of world football — and he is one of the sport’s premier players at the moment.
Naturally, all eyes will be on Son Heung-Min whenever South Korea take to the field at the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
And it would be naïve to think that the Taegeuk Warriors do not need him to be at the top of his game if they are to qualify from a Group H that also includes Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana to reach the Round of 16.
– 2022 World Cup: All squad lists for Qatar
– World Cup team previews: Group H – Portugual, Uruguay, Ghana, South Korea
After all, this is a man that has reached the peak of his powers in the past couple of years, winning the Premier League‘s top scorer award last season and establishing himself as the only Asian player that can lay claim to world-class status at the moment.
But for South Korea to achieve all that they want to over the next few weeks in Qatar, they cannot afford to be a one-man team.
If anything, Son’s season so far has proved just that.
Following the lofty standards he set for himself last term, Son has thus far failed to replicate his form in the 2022-23 season.
His effort can never be questioned and he is still working hard to bring his teammates into the game. But, from an output perspective, a five-goal haul from 19 games for Tottenham is well below his average.
Not that is has really bothered Spurs manager Antonio Conte, who has stood by his star attacker and backed him to eventually come good.
Then came a nasty injury where Son suffered a facial fracture and needed surgery, which has ruled him out of action the start of November.
The 30-year-old has regularly reiterated that he will be present for South Korea’s World Cup quest and, earlier in the week, he took to the training pitch wearing a protective face mask.
All signs suggest that could be available for the Taegeuk Warriors’ World Cup opener against Uruguay on Nov. 24 but there is also a chance he might not be at 100 percent.
Which further strengthens the notion that the South Koreans can ill afford to put all their eggs in the Son basket.
So who else can South Korea coach Paulo Bento turn to for inspiration then?
