Son Heung-min World Cup touch drought raises South Korea tactical questions

South Korea captain Son Heung-min has recorded unusually low touch counts in the 2026 World Cup group stage, prompting scrutiny of his role in the team’s system. He logged 37 touches versus Czechia and 19 touches versus Mexico. The article notes these are the fewest touches by any South Korean starting outfield player in both matches. Against Czechia, Son was substituted after 69 minutes, which partly explains the lower involvement. Against Mexico, however, the 19-touch total over a full appearance is harder to justify as purely tactical or situational. The piece says Son’s role may have shifted toward a more centralized position than in earlier World Cups, when he typically operated wider and used his pace against full-backs. Because Mexico and Czechia could track where Son was, their defensive structures were expected to limit his space. South Korea’s opening win, 2-1 over Czechia, bought the coaching staff time to experiment rather than forcing immediate overhaul. The article also frames this as potentially Son’s last World Cup: he turned 34 in July 2026, narrowing the window for a deep run. Key context: Son enters with 144 international caps and 56 goals for South Korea, and has scored three World Cup goals across his previous tournaments.