[Anchor]

For captain Son Heung-min, considered the greatest player in the history of Korean football, this World Cup could be his last. The result is all the more regrettable for both the national team and for Son personally.

Bae Jeonghun reports.

[Reporter]

Son Heung-min, who shed tears of frustration after group stage eliminations despite scoring three goals in the 2014 and 2018 tournaments,

[Son Heung-min / National Football Team Forward (2018): I felt so sorry because I felt I didn't fulfill my role, and I had a lot of 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 couldn't achieve this result, so I am very happy that we were able to get this special result this time...]

Ahead of what might be his final World Cup, he left the European stage for the United States to prepare more thoroughly, but for Son Heung-min, this fourth World Cup became a stage of tragedy.

He was substituted early in the first two matches, failing to record any attacking 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 come despite the hard work of so many players, but this is out of our hands now...]

Son failed in his bid to score his fourth World Cup goal, which would have been a record for a Korean player. Korean football is left with a meager record of reaching the knockout stage only once across four World Cups while possessing a world-class goal scorer like Son Heung-min.

Because of the possibility that the dream stage for 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 Bae Jeonghun | Video by Hwang In-seok | Video Editing by Kim Jong-tae | Graphics by Kang Yoon-jung