(VIDEO) Son Heung-min Passes Cha Bum-kun With His 59th International Goal

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Son Heung-min Passes Cha Bum-kun With His 59th Goal and Says He Hopes a Better Player Breaks the Record

YONGIN, South Korea — Son Heung-min scored his 59th international goal on Tuesday, a free kick in the sixth minute of a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan, and became the all-time leading scorer among South Korean men, one ahead of Cha Bum-kun.

The goal came at Yongin Mireu Stadium, about 40 kilometers south of Seoul. Son, 34, had tied Cha with a goal against Uruguay last Monday. He needed two more matches to pass him. He is already the most-capped male player, with 151 appearances. He took two further free kicks. The one in the 48th minute drew a save from goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov. Son was substituted in the 71st minute. South Korea kept the clean sheet.

"I have never once taken my spot on the national team for granted," he said afterward. "It has been thanks to my teammates and coaches that I have been able to score so many goals, but above all, I owe it to my fans for their unwavering support." He said he was "getting emotional" thinking about the path. "It is not just the goals that are important. Every moment I have spent with the national team has been precious. I don't know how much longer I will get to do this. But whenever I put the national team shirt on, I will do the best I can and make our fans proud."

He said the result mattered more than the record. "This has been a great day. We scored twice and didn't concede any goal. I am most pleased about that. This has been a physically demanding stretch of four matches over the past couple of weeks, but I really enjoyed playing four matches in a row at home. There were times when we let our fans down, but I am glad to have wrapped it up with a victory."

Asked how long he wanted the mark to stand, he said, "I hope it gets broken soon." "I am just a nobody, and I have this record to my name. I hope someone who is a much better player will break it in the near future. Cha Bum-kun has always been an incredible man. It is a huge honor to be in his company. I even feel bad about having my name mentioned next to his. That is why I think I should play even better." He said he felt no pressure chasing the record. "Records naturally follow when you play well on the pitch, and I have had great help from my teammates all along."

Son debuted on Dec. 30, 2010, against Syria, and scored his first goal on Jan. 18, 2011, against India at the Asian Cup. He has played World Cups in 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026, and Asian Cups in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023. Ji So-yun, the longtime women's captain, remains the country's all-time scorer, with 76 goals in 182 appearances. Tuesday's record is the men's list.

Cha's 58 stood for a generation. Son drew level eight days ago and passed it with a set piece in a friendly, then asked that the number not last. The 59th goal is the fact. The request that someone better break it is what he wanted said next to Cha's name.