Son Heung-min apologises for South Korea's World Cup exit, vows to 'run to death'

South Korea captain Son Heung-min has publicly apologised for his country's early exit from the 2026 World Cup, describing himself as "indescribably hurt" and pleading with fans to offer encouragement rather than criticism.

The 33-year-old, who moved to MLS side LA FC last August, was dropped for the decisive group-stage match against South Africa. He came on as a second-half substitute but could not prevent a 1-0 defeat that ended South Korea's campaign.

What happened

South Korea opened Group A with a win over Mexico but lost their next two fixtures to finish third in the pool. A draw in their final match would have been enough to advance as one of the best third-placed teams, but the defeat to South Africa sealed their elimination. It is the third time in four World Cups that the Taeguk Warriors have failed to reach the knockout stage.

Head coach Hong Myung-bo resigned on Sunday, and President Lee Jae Myung has called for an investigation into the team's performance. Son, in a lengthy Instagram post on Tuesday, took personal responsibility and promised to work tirelessly to regain the trust of the nation's football fans.

• Son Heung-min is South Korea's record appearance holder with 147 caps
• He has played in four World Cups but only reached the knockout stage once (2022)
• South Korea have not progressed past the group stage since 2010
• Son scored 56 international goals but failed to add to that tally in this tournament
• Hong Myung-bo's resignation follows a string of poor results

Son, now 33, acknowledged that his World Cup dream has "collapsed" but vowed to continue representing his country. With a new head coach yet to be appointed, South Korea face a period of transition as they look to build towards the next major tournament.