Son Heung-min, captain of South Korea, has issued a heartfelt public apology following his nation's early exit from the 2026 World Cup, pledging to give everything he has for Korean football fans going forward.

South Korea finished third in Group A after winning their opening match against Mexico, then losing their following two fixtures. A draw in their final group game would have secured qualification, but a 1-0 defeat to South Africa left them outside the eight best third-placed teams — and out of the tournament.

The former Tottenham Hotspur forward, who moved to MLS club LA FC last August, was not named in the starting line-up for that decisive encounter. He entered from the bench in the second half but could not find the net, leaving his tally frozen at 56 international goals.

Son's emotional message to fans

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Son opened with raw honesty: