"Happy to finish with a clean sheet"...Son Heung-min, South Korea men's A-match record 59th goal
Son Heung-min (34) scored his 59th A-match goal with a free kick in the 6th minute of the first half against Uzbekistan. It surpassed Cha Bum-kun's 58 goals for South Korea men's most goals. South Korea won 2-0.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
Three-line summary
- Son Heung-min scored his 59th A-match goal with a right-foot direct free kick in the 6th minute of the first half against Uzbekistan on October 6.
- Surpassing Cha Bum-kun's 58 goals (Korean Football Association tally), he reached sole 1st place in South Korea men's all-time A-match goals.
- The new record came in his 151st cumulative A-match, and South Korea won 2-0 with an additional header goal by Oh Se-hoon.
Cha Bum-kun (73)'s 58 goals was the top number on the Korean Football Association (KFA) record room's goal rankings. As of July 1, on the same table Son Heung-min had 147 matches with 56 goals, short by two goals. Three months later, the reported record is 151 matches 59 goals. Comparing the two points side by side and subtracting, the calculation shows 3 goals added across 4 matches in that period. That final goal came on October 6 against Uzbekistan.
Son Heung-min's most A-match goals, free kick in 6th minute of first half against Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan match stadium-related image
The match started on October 6 at 8 p.m. (Korean time). In the 6th minute of the first half, Son Heung-min split the goal net with a right-foot direct free kick.YonhapnewsAccording to, this goal came in his 151st cumulative A-match59th goalis. The opening goal was immediately the new record. In the 15th minute of the second half, Oh Se-hoon (27, Shimizu S-Pulse) scored an additional goal with a header from Song Min-gyu's assist.
E Dailyreported the final score is 2-0. In an interview with the broadcaster immediately after the match, Son Heung-min brought up the team topic before the record.Star NewsAccording to, he said that day, "I'm happy that we scored two goals and finished the match without conceding."
Son Heung-min 59 goals, Cha Bum-kun 58 goals, now Son Heung-min is 1st in South Korea men's A-match goals. Dividing goals by matches played, Cha Bum-kun is0.43 goals(58÷136), Son Heung-min is 0.39 goals (59÷151). Cha Bum-kun leads in efficiency per match, Son Heung-min in cumulative goals. Son Heung-min's 151 matches is also South Korea men's record for most appearances. 15 more matches than Cha Bum-kun and Hong Myung-bo's 136.
| Rank | Player | Goals | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Son Heung-min | 59 goals | Solo leader |
| 2 | Cha Bum-kun | 58 goals | KFA tally, includes past Olympic qualifying goals |
| 3 | Hwang Sun-hong | 50 goals | Retired |
| 4 | Park I-cheon | 36 goals | KFA tally, includes past Olympic qualifying goals |
| 5 | Lee Dong-guk | 33 goals | Joint 5th |
| 5 | Kim Jae-han | 33 goals | Joint 5th |
※ Based on match end on 2026.10.06. Based on KFA record room's July 1 table, only Son Heung-min's record was updated with October 6 reports and re-sorted.
We must also clarify the counting criteria. The KFA record room states that Cha Bum-kun's 58 goals include past Olympic qualifying goals. It is also noted that the record approved by FIFA in 2000 is 55 goals. By any standard, 59 goals is higher.
Son Heung-min age 34, 2026 season base salary 10,360,000 dollars
Son Heung-min was born on July 8, 1992 and is 34 years old this year. After debuting at Hamburg in 2010, he moved to Bayer Leverkusen in 2013, Tottenham in 2015, and to LAFC in 2025. According to Tottenham's announcement, he scored 173 goals in 454 official matches at Tottenham and left the club as the 5th all-time top scorer. He also has the 2021-22 Premier League top scorer (23 goals) and 2020 FIFA Puskas Award on his résumé.
MLS Players Association (MLSPA)According to data released on May 12 (as of April 16 contract), the 2026 season base salary is 10,368,750 dollars. The guaranteed compensation, calculated as an annual average of contractually guaranteed payments, is11,152,852 dollarsis. Korea Central Daily converted this to approximately 16,600,000,000 won. The two figures are not separate values to be added together.
GOAT expression and 59-goal record, remaining variables
Record and evaluation must be distinguished. Star News called Son Heung-min "Korea football GOAT" in the article headline of the 6th. This is merely the media's evaluation, not an official ranking or award name. The confirmed fact isSouth Korea men's national teamA-match goals 1st place. It must also be read separately from the combined men's and women's overall record.
On the same day, Son Heung-min said in a Yonhapnews interview, "I hope younger players more talented than me can break this record soon." Since ranks 2-5 on the standings are all retired players, the wish would reach junior players still active in the national team.
Related official sites
- Korean Football Association— Official announcement of national team schedule and match results
- Korean Football Association A-match various records— All-time A-match goals and appearances rankings
- LAFC Son Heung-min official player profile— Official team player introduction
- MLS Players Association official salary data— MLS player base salary and guaranteed compensation raw data
Good materials to view together
·1 goal to 59 goals...Son Heung-min sole 1st in A-match most goals, challenged at Venezuela match
WessakerEditor ·View more profile and articles