At 41, Cristiano Ronaldo is gearing up for his sixth FIFA World Cup representing Portugal.
Just two years younger, Lionel Messi will celebrate his 39th birthday two days after Argentina‘s second group-stage game against Austria.
Other notable 40-year-old players like Luka Modrić, Manuel Neuer, and Edin Džeko are all set to make significant contributions for their nations in this summer’s tournament in North America.
As for Son Heung-Min, it’s not unthinkable that he might still be around for the next World Cup in four years.
However, considering he’s 33 now, it raises the question of whether 2026 will be his final World Cup appearance with South Korea.
Son first took to the world stage 12 years ago, unrecognizable with his golden hair and wearing the No. 9 jersey—which has since been replaced with his iconic No. 7.
During what was South Korea’s worst World Cup showing since 1998, they managed only a single point from three matches in a balanced group that featured Belgium, Algeria, and Russia.
At that time, Son was already making waves at Hamburg, where he began his professional career, having already transferred to Bayer Leverkusen, establishing himself as one of the brightest prospects in Europe’s top leagues with 25 caps to his name at just 22 years old.
Nevertheless, with veterans like Koo Ja-Cheol, Ki Sung-Yueng, and Park Chu-Young in the squad, Son had yet to shoulder the burdens of a nation’s expectations.
Son bounced back from a challenging World Cup debut and continued to excel at Bayer Leverkusen. The following summer, he made a significant move to the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur, propelling his career forward.
When the 2018 World Cup arrived, he was coming off two consecutive seasons with double-digit goals in the Premier League, totaling 39 in all competitions.
South Korea faced opening defeats against Sweden and Mexico, suggesting another disappointing tournament, yet somehow they entered their final group game against Germany with a glimmer of hope for progression.
Against all odds, they shocked the reigning champions by absorbing relentless pressure and scoring twice in injury time to secure an unexpected 2-0 victory, capped by a memorable goal from Son, who dashed half the pitch to slot the ball into an empty net after Neuer had surged forward to aid the German attack.
If Sweden had not won 3-0 against Mexico, South Korea might have surged up the table and secured a knockout round spot.
Son later revealed he cried at the final whistle, believing they had advanced, only to be met with sorrow upon realizing that they had not.
With two goals in three matches, Son had firmly established his place on the world stage and, having captained the team against Germany in Ki’s absence, he was now the definitive leader for South Korea moving forward.
The 2022 World Cup brought new challenges.
While the world was paused for the first-ever year-end World Cup, Son shone in a club season that led him to become the first Asian player to win the Premier League’s golden boot, sharing the title with Mohamed Salah.
He had also reached the UEFA Champions League final and was part of the Tottenham team that were runners-up in the Premier League during the 2016-17 season.
At 30, Son was recognized as a world-class talent, although his participation in the World Cup was initially uncertain due to facial fractures sustained during a Tottenham match in November, leading him to wear a protective mask throughout the tournament.
South Korea’s path to the knockout stage was again fraught with difficulty.
Starting with a draw against Uruguay and a loss to Ghana, South Korea entered their must-win match against Portugal knowing their exit was imminent.
Things looked grim when Portugal scored in the opening five minutes. Even after an equalizer before the half, their inability to find a second goal meant they were still facing elimination.
However, in the first minute of injury time, history repeated itself.
As South Korea cleared a corner, Son surged forward with the ball from deep within his own half.
After a sprint of 60 yards, surrounded by three defenders, Son laid off a perfectly timed through-pass for Hwang Hee-Chan to finish clinically.
For the first time since 2010, and after previous heartache, South Korea had finally made it to the knockout stage of the World Cup.
Unfortunately, the round of 16 was as far as they progressed. A highly anticipated match against Brazil ended with a devastating 4-1 loss, despite a consolation goal from Paik Seung-Ho.
Still, Son had helped South Korea achieve what had eluded him since debuting shortly after the 2010 World Cup.
As he approaches his fourth World Cup, Son finds himself at a pivotal moment in his career. While it may not be the winter of his playing days just yet, it is undoubtedly late autumn.
Yet, he remains South Korea’s most influential player—showing in the MLS with LAFC that he can still conjure moments of magic that can turn matches.
The Taegeuk Warriors might not have the deepest roster, but their strongest lineup is still formidable, featuring players like Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-Jae, PSG forward Lee Kang-In, and other experienced European players like Hwang In-Beom and Lee Jae-Sung from Feyenoord and Mainz, respectively.
There’s enough firepower in the supporting cast to lend Son assistance, especially with a favorable draw placing South Korea in Group A, where they have a legitimate chance to advance against Czechia (June 11), co-host Mexico (June 18), and South Africa (June 24).
Long before this summer, Son’s World Cup journey was already quite remarkable—with at least one more chapter yet to unfold.
For all he has achieved under football’s brightest lights, often with a nation’s hopes on his shoulders, Son truly deserves one final memorable appearance.
And it might just come in 2026.