"I Don't Know If Son Heung-min Is Any Good" Hong Myung-bo's Past Remarks Resurface... Football Fans Say, "It's Ugly Jealousy Toward Someone Young Enough to Be His Son"

[Financial News] As former South Korea national football team coach Hong Myung-bo stepped down, taking responsibility for the team's worst-ever result at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, his past remarks about Son Heung-min are drawing renewed attention. Some football fans strongly criticized Hong, arguing that he had repeatedly kept Son, who belongs to a different generation, under pressure.

On the 29th, remarks Hong had made about Son spread across online communities and social networking service (SNS) platforms.
The first comments to resurface were from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Hong sparked controversy at the time by leaving Son out of the final Olympic squad and saying, "I don't know if Son Heung-min is any good," and, "There are players who are good on their own, and there are players who sacrifice themselves to make those around them better. Son Heung-min is the former."
He showed a similar stance ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Regarding Son's selection, he said, "I picked him because people around me said he was good. I will keep watching his form," "The national team is not a team for Son Heung-min," "Being Son Heung-min does not guarantee playing time," and "He will get chances if he has strategic value."
Those remarks continued even after Son established himself as the face of South Korean football.
Hong also mentioned the possibility of changing the captain in 2025, saying, "I am still thinking about changing the captain," and, "This is a point where what choice we make, for the individual and for the team, is important. It may change, or it may not."

He faced renewed criticism over how he used Son in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After the match against Mexico, Hong drew backlash from football fans when he explained why Son was left out of the starting lineup, saying, "I judged that it would be better to have a fresher player go in." After the match against South Africa, he added, "Looking at the opponent's physical condition, I thought it would be better for him to come on in the second half."
Posts also spread online comparing Hong Myung-bo, who was 33 during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, with Son Heung-min, who was also 33 at the 2026 World Cup. When Hong said of Son, "I think he is past the age where he can play full time," fans pointed out, "Hong Myung-bo was a regular starter for the national team at 33, so wasn't he applying a different standard to Son?"
As Hong's remarks came back into the spotlight, public opinion toward him appears to be worsening.
Internet users left comments such as, "Why is he so jealous when they're from different generations?" "An incompetent old-school boss," and "A coach who ruined the team by acting insecure toward someone young enough to be his son. That's really ugly."
gaa1003@fnnews.com Ahn Ga-eul Reporter