Cha Bum-kun, a legend of Korean football and former national team head coach, said Son Heung-min has shown no decline in performance due to age at the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America. The former coach also offered a positive assessment of Japanese football, which has been performing strongly.
According to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) on Tuesday, Cha addressed public concerns about Son's age in a recent interview with FIFA. "The speed at which he recovers his stamina may slow down a little, but what Son Heung-min has had does not disappear overnight," he said. "In the current situation, I don't think age has that much of an impact."
He added, "Son is, after all, better suited to playing on both flanks than up front," but said, "If he was placed up front strategically and produced two goals against the Czech Republic, then the player did quite well for the team." He explained, "The very fact that Son stands up front puts pressure on the opponent," adding, "In that process, there is also the effect of creating space for other players."
Cha also offered a positive view of the recent growth of Korean football. "There is no longer the sight of playing while feeling intimidated as in the past," he said. "Now it is natural to play on the World Cup stage, and the players are fully showing the skills they possess." He added, "If this kind of performance continues to accumulate, the players will gain even greater confidence," and said, "Looking at the current squad and performance, I think they have the ability and strength to even reach the quarterfinals."
Cha rated the capabilities of Japan, "Asia's strongest," even more highly, saying, "We need to wake up." He said, "(Japan) has now reached a level we cannot catch up with," adding, "Japan has systematically built up a youth system over a long period and created a structure where the same football can be played no matter which player comes in." He also said, "It is not wrong for Japan to talk about aiming to win the World Cup in the near future," and assessed, "I think they have that much ability, potential and skill."
Japan's national football team, led by head coach Hajime Moriyasu, beat Tunisia 4-0 in their second Group F match of the 2026 World Cup at the Monterrey Stadium in Mexico on Saturday. The 4-0 win marks the most goals scored in a single match by an Asian team that has reached the World Cup. FIFA noted, "It was a match in which Japan set a tournament milestone, and 90 minutes that left in the memory of football fans worldwide that Japan is a powerhouse of Asia."
Park Ji-sung, a commentator for JTBC, also praised Japan's play, saying, "It did not feel like the World Cup stage at all, and they were so relaxed that it gave the impression of playing in a friendly match." He said, "As things stand now, it is true that Japan is ahead (of Korea)."
