[Anchor]

This World Cup was even more highly anticipated because it might have been the final stage for the greatest player in the history of Korean football, captain Son Heung-min. However, Son saw his tournament end prematurely as a substitute, and the opportunity to challenge for a major record vanished in vain.

Reporter Bae Jeonghun has the story.

[Reporter]

Son Heung-min, who shed tears of regret after being eliminated in the group stage despite scoring three goals in the 2014 and 2018 tournaments, once said:

[Son Heung-min/National Football Team Forward (2018): I felt so sorry because I didn't seem to fulfill my role, and I had many thoughts.]

Four years ago in Qatar, despite wearing a mask due to a cheekbone injury, he assisted Hwang Hee-chan's comeback goal against Portugal, leading the team to the round of 16.

[Son Heung-min/National Football Team Captain (2022): We did our best in 2018 as well, but we didn't get these results. I am so happy that we achieved such a special result this time...]

Ahead of what could be his final World Cup, he left the European stage and chose to move to the United States to prepare more thoroughly, but his fourth World Cup became a stage of tragedy.

He was substituted early in the first two matches, failing to record any offensive points. In the final match, he was left out of the starting lineup for the first time in his 13 career World Cup appearances, and although he came on as a substitute in the second half, he could not prevent the team's defeat.

[Son Heung-min/National Football Team Captain: (Regarding being left out of the starting lineup) The coach did speak to me about it. It is very disappointing that the results did not reflect the hard work of all the players, but this is out of our hands now...]

Son failed in his quest for his fourth World Cup goal, which would have set a record for the most by a Korean player. Korean football is left with a lackluster record of reaching the knockout stage only once in the four World Cups it has participated in with a world-class striker like Son Heung-min.

Because of the possibility that the dream stage of a world-class star—whom we may not see again in our lifetime—has come to such a hollow end, this World Cup is expected to be remembered by Korean fans as a stage of anger and sorrow.

Reported by Hwang In-seok | Video by Kim Jong-tae | Graphics by Kang Yoon-jung