"Only a big club brings a crowd like this"… Son Heung-min's $11.1 million salary, scoreless in Leagues Cup

LAFC drew Chivas 1-1 on August 5, then won 5-4 on penalties. Son Heung-min did not score, and a single free kick left him wanting more.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

In the 80th minute, the stands at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles rose and sat back down. Son Heung-min's free kick curled toward the top of the goal but was tipped away by Chivas goalkeeper Raúl Rangel, the official Leagues Cup match recap said. His run of momentum, heated up by goals in 4 straight games, stopped there.

Son Heung-min match result: 90 minutes decided by a 5-4 shootout

The match was played at BMO Stadium on August 5, and the Leagues Cup official record lists the result as LAFC 1(5)-1(4) Chivas. The opening goal came from Denis Bouanga (31) in the 38th minute, and the equalizer from Roberto Alvarado (27) late in the first half. Regulation ended 1-1. In sudden death of the shootout, Thomas Hasal saved Luis Romo's kick, and Jude Terry scored the winning kick.

The points calculation matters here. In Leagues Cup Phase One, the winner of the penalty shootout after a 90-minute draw receives 1 extra point. What LAFC took from this match was not the 3 points of an outright win but 2 points. With this goal, Bouanga reportedly reached 14 career Leagues Cup goals, moving into a tie with Lionel Messi for the most goals in tournament history.

The issue — how much of the "goalless streak at 5 games" is confirmed fact?

Starting with what is confirmed: the official Leagues Cup record clearly shows that Son Heung-min did not score against Chivas. His profile record also shows that he had scored in 4 straight league games through the August 2 match against Vancouver. The problem is what lies in between. The scoring run over the previous 4 games has not been cross-checked against two or more official records.

There is also evidence pointing the other way. Son Heung-min's 2026 season numbers are 2 goals and 10 assists in MLS, and 2 goals and 7 assists in 8 CONCACAF Champions Cup games (as of summer 2026), so assists far outnumber goals. The scoreless night against Chivas looks less like a slump and more like the distribution of his scoring throughout this season.

Son Heung-min's salary of $11.1 million, 2nd in all of MLS

According to data released by the MLS Players Association, Son Heung-min's total guaranteed compensation for the 2026 season is $11.1 million. His base salary is listed at $10,368,750 for the 2025 season in the MLSPA salary guide. This does not include income from outside the club, such as endorsements and sponsorships.

The transfer fee when he moved from Tottenham to LAFC in August 2025 was reported to be $26.5 million (about 36.8 billion won). That is the highest in MLS history. However, Forbes described it as a reported figure, and LAFC has not disclosed the transfer fee. Multiple outlets have reported that the total value of the contract could reach up to $44.8 million (about 64 billion won) if all options are exercised.

Rank	Player	Guaranteed compensation	Club
1	Lionel Messi	$28.3M	Inter Miami
2	Son Heung-min	$11.2M	LAFC
3	Rodrigo De Paul	$9.7M	Inter Miami
4	Chucky Lozano	$9.3M	San Diego FC
5	Miguel Almirón	$7.9M	Atlanta United

This ranking is as of May 12, 2026, compiled by AS USA from MLSPA data. The gap with No. 1 Messi is $17.1M, more than 1.5 times Son Heung-min's compensation. The gap with No. 3 De Paul is $1.5M.

Son Heung-min, age 34: 16 years from Hamburg to LA

Born on July 8, 1992, he is 34 years old this year. He made his debut at Hamburger SV in 2010, passed through Leverkusen and Tottenham, and joined LAFC in August 2025. In 10 seasons at Tottenham, he became the club's all-time assists leader (98 assists), and in the 2021-22 season he won the Premier League Golden Boot with 23 goals in 35 games, the first Asian player to do so. His first title as a professional was the Europa League final in May 2025, a 1-0 win over Manchester United.

After the match, the managers' comments were directed at the stands rather than the score. LAFC manager Marc Dos Santos said, "Only a big club brings a crowd and supporters like this," and Chivas manager Gabriel Milito replied, "We are the most popular club in Mexico, and we are not alone anywhere."

Frequently asked questions

Q. How much is Son Heung-min's salary?

According to data released by the MLS Players Association, his total guaranteed compensation for the 2026 season is $11.1 million, and his base salary is $10,368,750 for the 2025 season. Income from endorsements and sponsorships outside the club is not included.

Q. How old is Son Heung-min?

He was born on July 8, 1992, and is 34 years old as of August 2026. Since his debut at Hamburger SV in 2010, he has been playing in Europe and the United States for 16 years.

Q. What is Son Heung-min's match schedule, and who is LAFC's next Leagues Cup opponent?

According to the official Leagues Cup guide, LAFC will face Toluca on August 8, 2026. Chivas will face FC Dallas on the same day.

Related official sites

Leagues Cup official website — You can check the Phase One matchups and match results from the original source
LAFC official website — You can see the upcoming match schedule and official club announcements
LAFC Son Heung-min official profile — Basic information such as season appearance records and squad number is compiled here
MLS Players Association Salary Guide — The original data on base salaries and guaranteed compensation for all players in the league

Featured image · Graphic = Whale SV · Background photo = Wikimedia Commons (BagmanTheEditor), CC BY-SA 4.0