Son Heung-min confused by request to help US win World Cup

By Hoang An August 8, 2025 | 06:53 pm PT

During his introductory interview at new club Los Angeles FC, Son Heung-min appeared puzzled when asked by Los Angeles City Council member Heather Hutt about helping the U.S. national team win the World Cup.

"When a World Cup comes, we're expecting a win here in Los Angeles for the USA, aren't we? And so we are here to support you to get that done," Hutt addressed the South Korean star at the introduction press conference on Aug. 6, as reported by Daily Mail.

Son was confused but still smiled and nodded, while the crowd remained silent for a moment after Hutt's remark.

The 66-year-old politician was implying that Son could help the U.S. win the 2026 World Cup, to be mainly hosted by the U.S., seemingly unaware that the tournament is for national teams and that Son plays for South Korea, not the U.S.

Son Heung-min trong lễ ra mắt LAFC tại thành phố Los Angeles, bang California, Mỹ ngày 6/8/2025. Ảnh: LAFC

Son Heung-min is introduced at LAFC in Los Angeles, California, U.S., Aug. 6, 2025. Photo by LAFC

Hutt has been a member of the Los Angeles City Council in California since 2022. Los Angeles has 15 council districts, and she represents District 10. District 10 is home to the city’s famous Koreatown, which may have been one reason for her appearance at Son’s unveiling.

After her speech, she also presented a gift to the 33-year-old star.

A video of Hutt’s remarks went viral on social media, attracting millions of views.

On Reddit, one comment from user Neither_Exitjusbreg earned thousands of upvotes, humorously stating: "[Hutt] just lost the entire South Korean vote in her district."

During the unveiling, Son admitted that Los Angeles FC (LAFC) was not his initial priority in this transfer window. However, he changed his mind after receiving a call from the club's president.

At LAFC, Son will reunite with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, his teammate of nine years at Tottenham.

When asked about Lloris, Son joked: "He's back to being my captain, so I have to say something nice about him. Otherwise, in the locker room, he's going to kill me..."

Son and Lloris once nearly got into a fight right before halftime in a Premier League game in 2020. The French goalkeeper appeared upset that his teammate did not track back to defend when the opponents attacked. Nevertheless, the two quickly reconciled afterward.