"Thank you. I was happy." 60,000 spectators gathered at Sangam to see off Son Heung-min

[Financial News] "Because it's the last time. I really wanted to remember this scene."
August 3, 2025, Seoul World Cup Stadium. 60,000 spectators filled Sangam to watch the second match of the '2025 Coupang Play Series' between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United of the English Premier League (EPL). They weren't just there to watch the game. Just one person. Son Heung-min. The vast majority of fans gathered to remember his last Tottenham uniform, to share the farewell moment. 
The day before, Son Heung-min officially announced, "I have decided to leave the team this summer." And this match became the last stage for him to wear the uniform as the captain of Tottenham and as a symbol of Korean football that marked an era on the European football stage. Various foreign media predict his next destination to be LA FC in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.


Just that fact alone shook Seoul. From the morning, the area around the stadium was crowded with no room to step, and the parking lot was already full three hours before the game started. The surrounding roads were filled with cars like a parking lot. Fans commemorated the 'Son Heung-min Farewell Match' in their own ways, wearing marked white Tottenham uniforms and red national team uniforms.
One football fan said, "Thanks to Son Heung-min, I got into the entire EPL," and added, "Now I wonder if there's any reason to keep watching the EPL," unable to hide his regret.
In the stadium, family unit fans who came to be with Son Heung-min's last moments were also noticeable. A mother wearing a Son Heung-min uniform, a father wearing a Newcastle uniform, and a child wearing a half-and-half reformed uniform of both clubs were also seen. 


At 6:30 PM, when Son Heung-min appeared on the ground for an interview, Sangam responded with explosive cheers. 40 minutes before the game started, he circled the ground with the Tottenham squad to warm up and waved both hands towards the stands, and fans warmly welcomed him by calling his name.
And finally, when the starting lineup appeared on the scoreboard and the name 'SON HEUNG-MIN' was introduced, the cheers of 60,000 people shook Sangam. It was the last prelude sung by 'Tottenham's Son Heung-min'.
This match was not just a game where a single football player was leaving. It was the moment when a name that symbolized not only Korean football but also Asian football, and shared time and memories with countless people, walked in 'that uniform' for the last time.
Son Heung-min was on the ground. And 60,000 fans who wanted to remember that moment filled Sangam.

jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter