World Cup 2026: Son Heung-min - South Korea’s football icon

South Korea's Son Heung-min is an icon and the captain of his national team, with the former Tottenham Hotspur forward holding the record for the most goals by an Asian player in both Premier League and UEFA Champions League history.

Son tells Lee James it’s “crazy” and a “dream come true” to be playing in a fourth World Cup and is hoping the team can inspire the next generation.

He also reflects on watching South Korea’s epic run at their home World Cup in 2002, as a child, and how crazy a time it was in the country, including getting days off school.

Lee is also joined by David Oh from BBC News Korean who tells him that Son is the face of this generation of South Korean football and that he thinks he’s chasing the all time goal scoring record for the national team.

More than the Score brings you more than the men’s football World Cup - the new teams, standout stars, trends and fandoms shaping the tournament in ways the stats don’t show. With 48 teams competing across Mexico, the US and Canada, BBC World Service promises to take you deeper - from the group stages to the final. Search for More than the Score wherever you get your BBC podcasts.