Now, he is tied for third place for the most appearances in Korea's history of international matches. Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham Hotspur) made his 133rd international match appearance, matching 'Spider Hands' Lee Woon-jae (52), the goalkeeper coach for the Vietnam national football team.

The South Korean national football team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will face Jordan in the eighth match of Group B in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA North and Central American World Cup, scheduled for 8 p.m. on the 25th at Suwon World Cup Stadium.

Earlier, South Korea drew 1-1 against Oman on the 20th. They failed to maintain Hwang Hee-chan's opening goal scored at the end of the first half. By adding just one point at home, South Korea has recorded 15 points (4 wins, 3 draws), maintaining a precarious first place in the group. They are only 3 points ahead of second-place Jordan and third-place Iraq (both with 12 points).

The national team aimed for an early qualification for the World Cup finals in this two-match home series, but the draw against Oman dashed those hopes. There is now a possibility of conceding the top spot to either Jordan or Iraq. If South Korea loses to Jordan on that day, the standings could be reversed.

Furthermore, an injury crisis has arisen. Kim Min-jae could not join due to an Achilles injury, and Jeong Seung-hyun injured his calf during training. Additionally, Baek Seung-ho and Lee Kang-in both collapsed during the match against Oman. Jeong Seung-hyun, Baek Seung-ho, and Lee Kang-in have all been released from the national team, making them unavailable for the match against Jordan.

With a heavy burden on his shoulders, Son Heung-min has been named in the starting lineup for the day. Thus, he has risen to joint third in South Korea's history of international match appearances alongside Lee Woon-jae, a key player in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup semi-final legend.

The current record for the most appearances is held by former coaches Cha Bum-kun and Hong Myung-bo, with 136 matches. If Son Heung-min plays just three more matches wearing the national team jersey, he will catch up with the two legends.

Son Heung-min has dedicated over 14 years to the national team since making his senior debut on Dec. 30, 2010. The only South Korean players who have played for the national team longer while wearing the Taegeuk mark are Lee Dong-gook (19 years, 112 days), Lee Woon-jae (16 years, 159 days), and Kim Nam-il (14 years, 182 days).

Meanwhile, Son Heung-min is expected to play as a central striker rather than an attacking winger this day, a gamble by head coach Hong Myung-bo who desperately needs a win. Lee Dong-kyung, Lee Jae-sung, and Hwang Hee-chan will form the second line, while Park Yong-woo and Hwang In-beom will support from behind. The defensive line will consist of Lee Tae-seok, Jo Yu-min, Kwon Kyung-won, and Seol Young-woo, with Jo Hyun-woo guarding the goal.

Head coach Hong Myung-bo has placed Son Heung-min at the forefront instead of the three specialized strikers (Joo Min-kyu, Oh Se-hoon, Oh Hyeon-kyu). He is likely to take on a central striker role, as he has occasionally done for both his club, Tottenham, and the national team. Alternatively, he might swap positions with Hwang Hee-chan, who can also play as a central striker, moving between the left and center.

In the previous match against Oman, Son Heung-min started as a left winger but, as the game did not unfold as desired, he expanded his activity range. He moved to the center to try to break through the opponent's dense defense.

However, the results were disappointing. Son Heung-min made a sharp free-kick shot once, but overall there were many mistakes. There was also a loss of possession leading to a goal. Both Son Heung-min and Hong Myung-bo must create a different result this time.

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