Son Heung-min Scores First League Goal of the Season Right After World Cup

Big Moment for Son Heung-min

Son Heung-min is the captain of South Korea’s national football team, and he plays for a club team called LAFC. After finishing the 2026 World Cup in North America, he went back to his club team. In his very first match back, he scored his first goal of the league season!

What Happened in the Match

• The match was played on July 17.
• It took place in Carson, California, at a stadium called Dignity Health Sports Park.
• LAFC played against their local rivals, the LA Galaxy.
• This was the 16th round of the 2026 MLS (Major League Soccer — the top professional soccer league in the U.S.) regular season.
• Son started the game as a starter (he was on the field from the beginning).
• When the team was already winning 2–0, Son scored another goal in the 12th minute of the second half.
• This was his first goal in the league this season.

Son’s Season Before This Goal

• Earlier in the season, Son only scored in a different tournament called the CONCACAF Champions Cup (a competition for teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean), where he had 2 goals.
• In the MLS league itself, since it started in February, he had 0 goals but gave 9 assists (passes that led directly to a teammate’s goal).
• He then left to play in the World Cup, where South Korea was eliminated in the group stage (the first round), which was disappointing.
• But when he returned to LAFC, he scored in his first game back.

How the Goal Was Scored

• This was Son’s first time playing against the LA Galaxy in a local rivalry match since he joined LAFC last summer.
• In the 12th minute of the second half, he dribbled forward (controlled the ball while running).
• He passed to a teammate named Mark Delgado.
• He got the ball back from Delgado.
• He shot with his right foot and scored.

The Result

• Thanks to Son’s goal, LAFC won the game 3–0.

Important Point: This was Son Heung-min’s first MLS league goal of the 2026 season, and it came in his first game back after the World Cup disappointment.

Summary

Son Heung-min, captain of South Korea and player for LAFC, returned from the 2026 World Cup and immediately scored his first 2026 MLS league goal against the LA Galaxy. He had only scored in another tournament before this and had 9 assists in the league. His goal helped LAFC win 3–0 in their local rivalry match.

FAQ

Who is Son Heung-min?
He is the captain of South Korea’s national football team and plays for the club team LAFC in the United States.

What is MLS?
MLS stands for Major League Soccer, which is the top professional soccer league in the United States.

Why was this goal special?
It was his first league goal of the 2026 season, his first match back after the World Cup, and his first time playing against the LA Galaxy as an LAFC player.

What is a local rivalry match?
It is a game between two nearby teams that are big competitors, like LAFC and the LA Galaxy, who are both from the Los Angeles area.