Career Timeline of Son Heung-min: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Son Heung-min made an impact.

Son Heung-min is a highly accomplished South Korean professional footballer, currently playing as a left winger for Los Angeles FC and captaining the South Korea national team. Celebrated for his exceptional speed, finishing ability, and two-footed proficiency, he has achieved the distinction of being the top Asian goalscorer in both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. He is widely considered the greatest Asian player ever.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

October 2010: First League Goal

On October 30, 2010, Son Heung-min scored his first league goal against 1. FC Köln, becoming the youngest Hamburg player to score a goal in the Bundesliga at 18.

December 2010: Named in South Korea squad for AFC Asian Cup

On 24 December 2010, Son Heung-min was named in South Korea national team's squad for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

2010: Early career at Hamburg

During the 2010-11 season, Son scored three goals in 14 matches in all competitions for Hamburg.

2010: International Debut

In 2010, Son Heung-min became a full international player for South Korea.

2010: Debut in Bundesliga

In 2010, Son Heung-min made his debut in the Bundesliga with Hamburger SV after relocating to Germany at age 16.

September 2011: Missed matches due to ankle injury

In September 2011, Son Heung-min missed the first two matches of South Korea's 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign due to an ankle injury.

October 2011: Featured in World Cup qualifier

In October 2011, Son Heung-min played in a friendly against Poland, and was again featured in an 11 October World Cup qualifier against the United Arab Emirates, after missing the first two matches of South Korea's 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign in September due to an ankle injury.

2011: 2011-12 Season with Hamburg

During the 2011-12 season, Son made 30 appearances for Hamburg and scored five goals, helping the team remain in the Bundesliga.

2011: AFC Asian Cup 2011

In 2011, Son Heung-min represented South Korea at the AFC Asian Cup.

2012: Starter for Hamburger SV

Following Hamburger SV's offseason moves in 2012, manager Thorsten Fink named Son Heung-min a starter for the team.

February 2013: Goals Against Borussia Dortmund

On February 9, 2013, Son Heung-min scored two goals in an away fixture against Borussia Dortmund, contributing to a 4-1 victory for Hamburger SV.

March 2013: Winning goal against Qatar

On 23 March 2013, Son Heung-min came on as a substitute in the 81st minute and scored the winning goal in the 96th minute against Qatar.

June 2013: Transfer to Bayer Leverkusen

In June 2013, Bayer Leverkusen confirmed Son Heung-min's transfer for a reported €10 million, agreeing to a five-year deal.

November 2013: Hat-trick Against Hamburger SV

On November 9, 2013, Son Heung-min scored a hat-trick for Bayer Leverkusen in a 5-3 win against his former club, Hamburger SV.

2013: Moved to Bayer Leverkusen

In 2013, Son Heung-min moved to Bayer Leverkusen for a club record of €10 million.

May 2014: Goal Against Werder Bremen

On May 10, 2014, Son Heung-min scored a goal against Werder Bremen, securing a spot for Bayer Leverkusen in the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League.

June 2014: Named in South Korea's squad for the 2014 World Cup; scored against Algeria

In June 2014, Son was selected for South Korea's squad for the 2014 World Cup. On June 22, he scored a goal in the match against Algeria, which they lost 4-2. Later, the Korea Football Association's request for Son to participate in the 2014 Asian Games was declined by Bayer Leverkusen.

2014: FIFA World Cup 2014

In 2014, Son Heung-min represented South Korea at the FIFA World Cup.

2014: 2014-15 Season

In the 2014-15 season, Son finished with 17 goals in 42 matches.

2014: Signed New Deal with Hamburg through 2014

Son Heung-min had signed a new deal with Hamburg through 2014.

February 2015: Hat-trick Against VfL Wolfsburg

On February 14, 2015, Son Heung-min scored a hat-trick against VfL Wolfsburg in a 4-5 defeat.

August 2015: Joined Tottenham Hotspur

On August 28, 2015, Son Heung-min joined Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur for £22 million (€30 million) on a five-year contract, becoming the most expensive Asian player in football history.

September 2015: Scored a hat-trick against Laos

On 3 September 2015, Son scored a hat-trick in an 8–0 home win over Laos in the second round of qualification for the 2018 World Cup, which took place at the Hwaseong Stadium.

2015: Debut and Goals for Tottenham

In 2015, Son Heung-min made his debut for Tottenham Hotspur, scored his first two goals in the UEFA Europa League against Qarabağ FK, and scored his first Premier League goal against Crystal Palace. He scored the winning goal against Watford on December 28.

2015: AFC Asian Cup Runner-Up 2015

In 2015, Son Heung-min represented South Korea at the AFC Asian Cup, where the team was the runner-up.

June 2016: Named in South Korea under-23 squad for 2016 Summer Olympics

In June 2016, Son was selected as one of the overage players in South Korea's under-23 squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics. He scored two goals in the group stages, one against Fiji and another against Germany, contributing to the team topping the group. However, South Korea was eliminated by Honduras in the Quarterfinals, with Son missing crucial chances.

2016: Spurs Career

After requesting to leave, Son Heung-min was given a chance to fight for his place at Spurs and eventually scored two goals against Stoke City on September 10, 2016.

March 2017: First Spurs Hat Trick and Racial Abuse

In March 2017, Son Heung-min scored his first Spurs hat trick in the FA Cup against Millwall, but was also racially abused by a section of the Millwall fans.

May 2017: Goals Against Leicester City

On May 18, 2017, Son Heung-min scored a brace away to Leicester City as part of a 6-1 rout. With 21 goals, he joined Harry Kane and Dele Alli as the first trio of Spurs players with over 20 goals on the season.

June 2017: Broke right forearm during World Cup qualifier against Qatar

On 13 June 2017, Son broke his right forearm after falling awkwardly during a World Cup qualifier match in Doha against Qatar, facing a setback in his career.

September 2017: Korea qualified for the 2018 World Cup

In September 2017, Son was part of the team that secured Korea's qualification for the 2018 World Cup after a 0–0 draw against Uzbekistan on September 5, marking a significant achievement.

September 2017: Goal Against Borussia Dortmund

On September 13, 2017, Son Heung-min scored his first goal of the 2017-18 season in the UEFA Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund.

November 2017: Top Asian Goalscorer in Premier League History

On November 5, 2017, Son Heung-min became the top Asian goalscorer in Premier League history with 20 Premier League goals, breaking the record set by Park Ji-Sung.

January 2018: Scoring Streak

On January 13, 2018, Son Heung-min matched the club record of scoring in five consecutive home games against Everton.

February 2018: FA Cup Brace

On February 28, 2018, Son Heung-min scored a brace and assisted Fernando Llorente as Tottenham beat Rochdale in the FA Cup.

June 2018: Selected in the 23-man squad for the World Cup; scored against Mexico

In June 2018, Son was selected in the 23-man squad for the World Cup. On June 23, he scored a goal against Mexico, though his side was defeated 2–1, eliminating Korea from the competition.

July 2018: Contract Extension

On July 20, 2018, Son Heung-min signed a new five-year deal, extending his contract with Tottenham until 2023.

October 2018: 150th Game for Tottenham

In October 2018, Son Heung-min scored a brace in his 150th game for Tottenham in the EFL Cup match against West Ham.

2018: Champions League Final

In 2018, Son Heung-min contributed to Tottenham Hotspur reaching the Champions League final.

2018: FIFA World Cup 2018 & Asian Games Gold

In 2018, Son Heung-min represented South Korea at the FIFA World Cup and the Asian Games, where the team won gold.

February 2019: Goal Against Borussia Dortmund

On February 13, 2019, Son Heung-min scored the first goal in a 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the round of 16, UEFA Champions League.

April 2019: First European competition goal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

On 9 April 2019, Son Heung-min scored the first European competition goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a 1–0 win against Manchester City in the quarterfinals of the 2018–19 Champions League. In the return leg in April 2019, Son scored twice, securing Tottenham a 4–4 aggregate win and a spot in the semi-finals for the first time since 1962.

April 2019: First Goal at New Stadium

On April 3, 2019, Son Heung-min scored the first professional goal at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

May 2019: First Premier League red card

On 4 May 2019, Son Heung-min received his first red card in the Premier League due to his vindictive action against Jefferson Lerma.

September 2019: Two goals against Crystal Palace

On 14 September 2019, Son Heung-min opened his 2019–20 account by scoring two goals against Crystal Palace in the Premier League, resulting in a 4–0 victory.

November 2019: Man of the Match against West Ham

On 23 November 2019, Son Heung-min scored Tottenham's first goal with José Mourinho as manager, earning him Man-of-the-match in a 3–2 Spurs victory against West Ham.

December 2019: Red card against Chelsea

On 22 December 2019, facing Chelsea, Son Heung-min was sent off after raising his boot against Antonio Rüdiger's ribs.

2019: AFC Asian Cup 2019

In 2019, Son Heung-min represented South Korea at the AFC Asian Cup.

February 2020: First Asian footballer to score 50 Premier League goals

On 16 February 2020, Son Heung-min scored two goals at Villa Park, earning a 3–2 victory for Tottenham, and became the first Asian footballer to score 50 goals in the Premier League, with 51 scored goals in 151 Premier League matches. During the same game in February 2020, Son played the full game despite suffering a fracture to his arm early on.

January 2021: 100th goal for Tottenham

On 2 January 2021, Son Heung-min scored his 100th goal for Tottenham in the 3–0 win against Leeds.

February 2021: Three assists against Everton

On 10 February 2021, Son Heung-min provided three assists, but Tottenham lost 5–4 to Everton in the FA Cup.

July 2021: Contract extension with Tottenham

On 23 July 2021, Son Heung-min extended his contract with Tottenham until 2025.

2022: FIFA World Cup 2022

In 2022, Son Heung-min represented South Korea at the FIFA World Cup.

April 2023: 100 Premier League Goals

In April 2023, Son Heung-min became the first Asian player to score 100 Premier League goals.

August 2023: Tottenham's new captain

On 12 August 2023, it was announced that Son Heung-min had been made Tottenham's new captain.

2023: AFC Asian Cup 2023

In 2023, Son Heung-min represented South Korea at the AFC Asian Cup.

February 2024: Return from AFC Asian Cup

On 10 February 2024, Son Heung-min made his return from the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, assisting teammate Brennan Johnson to score a late goal in a 2–1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.

January 2025: Tottenham extends Son's contract

On 7 January 2025, Tottenham announced they had exercised their option to extend Son Heung-min's contract by an additional 12 months until June 2026.

August 2025: Moved to Los Angeles FC

On 6 August 2025, Son Heung-min moved to Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC in a deal worth $26.5 million, an MLS record, departing Tottenham Hotspur after 10 years.

September 2025: Became one of the most capped players for South Korea

On 9 September 2025, Son started against Mexico in an international friendly at Geodis Park in Nashville, joining current manager (then player) Hong Myung-bo and Cha Bum-kun in becoming the most capped player for the South Korean national team with 136 appearances, marking a historic milestone in his international career.