For now, Cha Bum-kun is better than Son Heung-min!
The football media 'Mad Football' announced on the 13th the selection of 18 greatest players in Asian football history. Legendary players representing Korean football, Cha Bum-kun, Son Heung-min, and Park Ji-sung, swept the top three spots.
All three are legends who have made significant impacts on Korean football, making it difficult to determine which of them has the comparative advantage. Who among Son, Cha, and Park has the upper hand remains a subject of debate, as they each belong to completely different generations. However, there is no disagreement on the fact that the Korean players who have conquered the world are the best.
Currently, evaluations suggest that Son Heung-min slightly falls short of Cha Bum-kun's achievements. The 'Brown Bomber' Cha Bum-kun, who dominated the Bundesliga in the 1980s, has been recognized as the greatest legend in Asia by universal consensus. Cha Bum-kun racked up numerous records, including being the first Asian player to win the UEFA Cup in 1980 and scoring in the UEFA Cup final in 1988.
By today's standards, Son Heung-min would need to win two European tournaments and score the winning goal to match Cha Bum-kun's achievements.
The record of Son Heung-min, already a legend, is no less impressive. Having played for ten years at Tottenham, Son has become the first Asian player to win the Premier League Golden Boot, the Puskás Award, and the UEFA Europa League. To the current generation, who see the 80s and 90s as distant history, Son Heung-min can be considered the Cha Bum-kun of this era.
In the national team, Son Heung-min is also approaching Cha Bum-kun's remarkable records. Cha Bum-kun has played 136 matches for the Korean national team, scoring 58 goals, and remains the top scorer. He is also the youngest player and the first to join the Century Club in the national team.
Son Heung-min is closely pursuing Cha Bum-kun's record with 51 goals in 134 matches. Notably, in World Cup records, Son Heung-min has outperformed Cha Bum-kun. If Son becomes the Korean player with the most international goals, discussions will likely arise about readjusting the rankings with Cha Bum-kun.
In addition to the three players, 'Maltese Hair' Kim Ju-sung ranks 7th, the eternal libero Hong Myung-bo ranks 13th, and the unyielding Kim Min-jae ranks 14th, with an impressive total of 6 Korean players included among the 18. Kim Min-jae was the only defender among active players.
Kim Min-jae is the first Korean player to play as a regular at Bayern Munich and experience winning the championship. As his career progresses, he is expected to rise further in the rankings.
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