"Son Heung-min Lost His Superpower"... U.S. Media Says Hong Myung-bo Became the Scapegoat for Korea's Exit

[Financial News] The influential U.S. sports magazine Sports Illustrated (SI) reviewed the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup and selected the poor form of South Korea captain Son Heung-min (LAFC) as one of the tournament's 10 biggest disappointments.
On the 14th, local time in Korea, SI said in its World Cup wrap-up that Son's drop in scoring form was one of the reasons South Korea failed to advance from the group stage.
The outlet introduced Son as "the heart of the South Korea national team for the past decade, and someone who was just two goals away from breaking Cha Bum-kun's record for the most International 'A' Match goals (58) before the tournament began." But it gave a harsh assessment of his performances on the main stage, saying, "It was hard to find the world-class striker who always exceeded expected goals (xG) with remarkable finishing," and added that "his force and superpower seemed to have disappeared."

SI's harsh assessment is also clearly backed by the numbers. According to Opta Sports, a football statistics outlet, Son played in all three group-stage matches against the Czech national football team, Mexico national football team, and South Africa national football team, but failed to record a single goal contribution.
The most painful part is that he did not lack chances. Son's total expected goals (xG) in the tournament was 1.05. That was the highest figure among all scoreless players at this World Cup. Statistically, it means he squandered clear chances that should have produced at least one goal.
His shooting accuracy also fell apart. Son attempted seven shots during the group stage, but only one was on target. Even though he faced high-quality chances with a shot-by-shot expected goals rate of 0.15, which ranked third overall in the tournament, he could not finish.
In the end, his trademark sharp finishing, which usually turns difficult chances into goals at club level, disappeared on the biggest World Cup stage. Statistically, he ended up leaving the deepest sense of regret.
South Korea opened the group stage with a 2-1 win over the Czech national football team in the first match, but then suffered back-to-back 1-0 scoreless defeats to Mexico and South Africa, ultimately failing to reach the Round of 32 tournament. Following the shocking result, head coach Hong Myung-bo resigned, taking responsibility.
In response, SI noted that "Coach Hong Myung-bo came under fierce criticism after the elimination and became a scapegoat," while also pointing out that "if South Korea's superstar Son Heung-min had not lost his usual scoring touch this summer, Hong's fate might have been different."

Meanwhile, beyond Son's scoring slump, SI also highlighted the major teams and players that shocked football fans around the world at this North American World Cup as other major disappointments.
The biggest upset victim was Germany, the so-called Iron Troops. Germany suffered a stunning loss to Paraguay and was knocked out early in the Round of 32. Portugal, which had also been considered a title contender, exited in the Round of 16, while Scotland, which failed to get past the group stage, was also classified as a disappointment.
The poor form of star players also came under scrutiny. United States men's national soccer team captain Christian Pulisic drew criticism after delivering underwhelming performances on home soil in the co-hosted tournament. Brazil's marquee star Neymar, meanwhile, was also cited as a source of disappointment for fans after failing to overcome the effects of injury in what was said to be his final World Cup and appearing only as a substitute.
Other major blemishes on the tournament included the moves of world-renowned manager Carlo Ancelotti, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, which drew repeated criticism over inconsistent officiating throughout the event, and various issues surrounding the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter