min taking childlike joy to 4th World Cup

Whenever he thinks about playing at a FIFA World Cup, Son Heung-min becomes a kid again — a boy that once dreamed of representing South Korea at football's biggest tournament.

Now 33, Son will lead South Korea at his fourth career World Cup next month in Mexico. He was named to head coach Hong Myung-bo's 26-man squad in Seoul last Saturday and was introduced as captain.

Son doesn't know if it will be his World Cup swan song, but he does know he will enjoy the experience.

"It doesn't matter how many World Cups you've played. It's like a dream. I feel like I am a little child looking forward to representing this amazing country," Son told reporters in English in a media availability for Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, Friday (local time), two days before facing the Seattle Sounders. It will be Son's final Major League Soccer (MLS) match before joining the South Korean national team in their training camp in Salt Lake City.

"It takes a lot of responsibility, but it's a huge honor for me," Son continued. "I just want to have fun and make this tournament like a festival. Everybody has been working for four years for this amazing tournament. We want to have fun and have great results."

Asked if he found it difficult not to look ahead to South Korea's first World Cup match against Czechia, June 11, in Mexico, Son shook his head and said: "I never think about the future. I always think day by day, game by game."

"The most important game is on Sunday," he added. "Just want to make sure we get a great result before I go to the World Cup with a great feeling."

Responding to Korean questions, Son said his passion for representing the country at the World Cup has never changed and he wants to take the same mindset into the upcoming tournament.

"I want to give everything I have on and off the field. It will help the team move in the direction that we all want," Son said. "And the World Cup is supposed to be a festival, and I want to create a culture where fans will be able to enjoy it."

Son has been held without a goal in 12 MLS matches this season, though he leads the league with nine assists. He shrugged off persistent criticism about his lack of goal scoring in the World Cup year, saying he understands people's expectations.

"Obviously, people love it when I score goals, and it's only natural that they talk so much about (my scoring drought)," Son said. "But football is not an individual sport. Rather than chasing my own glory, I think about how I can make my teammates better. I think goals can come at any moment because my abilities won't just disappear overnight. At the World Cup, I would have to score goals to bring joy to people, but I also think it's important to play in ways that can help the team."

Click here to read article