SEOUL, Aug 7 (Yonhap/APP): South Korean football icon Son Heung-min is now a member of Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) in Major League Soccer (MLS).
LAFC announced their signing of Son, 33, just before his introductory press conference at BMO Stadium in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon (local time), or early Thursday morning in South Korea.
“What can I say? (It’s a) dream come true. LA, what a city,” Son said at the presser, while flanked by John Thorrington, the club’s co-president and general manager, and Bennett Rosenthal, their lead managing owner. “I’m here to win, and I will perform, and I will definitely show you some exciting football. We definitely will have success.”
Thorrington called Son “a global icon and one of the most dynamic and accomplished players in world football.”
“His ambition, ability, and character align perfectly with our values at LAFC. We are proud that he has chosen Los Angeles for the next chapter of his extraordinary career,” he said. “Sonny is a proven winner and a world-class individual, and we are confident he will elevate our club and inspire our community — both on and off the pitch.”
Son spent the past 10 years with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, a run that saw him win the Golden Boot as the league’s top scorer in the 2021-22 season and lift the UEFA Europa League trophy as club captain in May this year.
LAFC said they acquired Son on a permanent transfer from Tottenham through 2027, with an option for 2028 and an additional option through June 2029.
Son is now the fifth South Korean player in MLS this season, joining Jeong Ho-yeon of Minnesota United FC, Jeong Sang-bin of St. Louis City SC, Kim Jun-hong of D.C. United and Kim Kee-hee of Seattle Sounders FC.
There are 30 clubs in MLS, 15 each in the Eastern and Western conferences. LAFC are in sixth place in the west with 36 points from 22 matches, and they have at least two games in hand on all five teams above them in the standings.
The regular season will be followed by the playoffs — different from most football leagues but similar to other sports leagues in North America. The top seven teams in each conference qualify for the first round, and the teams finishing eighth and ninth will meet in the wild-card round, with the winner advancing to the first round.
Financial terms were not disclosed, though reports previously claimed that Son would join LAFC for a record transfer fee of US$26 million — surpassing the previous mark of $22 million that Atlanta United FC spent last winter to acquire forward Emmanuel Latte Lath.
LAFC said Son will be eligible to play once he receives his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).
While in Seoul for a preseason match, Son first announced Saturday that he would leave Tottenham this summer, without revealing his next destination. He then bid a teary farewell to Tottenham fans in South Korea in a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sunday.
Son stayed put as the rest of Tottenham returned to London, and then he traveled to Los Angeles on Tuesday to finalize his move to LAFC.
Son ended his Spurs tenure as the fifth-best scorer in club history with 173 goals in 454 matches in all competitions.
Son had one year left on his contract with Spurs and chose to move to another league instead of playing out the string in England.
In explaining his decision to leave Saturday, Son said he wanted to put himself in a situation where he could prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup the best he could. With the big tournament set to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, and LAFC having already been rumored to be Son’s next stop, it became a foregone conclusion that Son would take his talent to America and sign with the LA team.
“Bringing Sonny to LAFC and to our city has been a dream of ours for several years,” Rosenthal said. “My partners and I are huge admirers of Sonny the player and Sonny the person. His signing is a statement of our commitment to excellence on the pitch and our ambition to continue to build our reputation as a world-class club on the global football stage. Sonny as a player and person will inspire not only our fans in LA and the incredible community in Southern California, but millions of fans around the world.”