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The Asian Football Confederation named Son Heung-min as the South Korean player to watch at the Asian Cup scheduled to be hosted by Saudi Arabia next January. / Yonhap

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) designated "Captain" Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) as the South Korean player to watch at the upcoming Asian Cup, which has raised curiosity regarding Saudi Arabia's hosting next January.

Through its official website on the 16th, the AFC stated, "Having established himself as one of Asian football's greats, Son Heung-min, now 34, is set to embark on his fifth and likely final quest to deliver an Asian Cup title to his home country." It added, "Despite entering the twilight of his playing career, he recently captained the national team in his fourth World Cup appearance at the North and Central America World Cup. He is expected to play a central role as the national team once again pursues the Asian Cup crown."

The AFC detailed Son's history of challenging for the Asian Cup title, writing: "Son's influence was at its most formidable four years later at the Asian Cup in Australia. At the time, he scored a brace in extra time against Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals to lead South Korea to a 2-0 victory, and in the final against host nation Australia, he scored a stoppage-time equalizer to take the match into extra time, though James Troisi's extra-time winner broke the hearts of Son and his teammates." It looked back, adding, "In the 2019 tournament in the UAE, South Korea was eliminated in the quarterfinals, and in Qatar in 2024, they reached the semifinals but fell to Jordan, once again failing to lift the championship trophy."

Meanwhile, Reuters reported the previous day, citing a statement from the Saudi Asian Cup Organizing Committee, "Although Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, came under attack from Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi forces—leading to the cancellation of the Urban Cycling World Championships scheduled to be held there next month and the indefinite postponement of golf's Asian Tour Saudi International—the Asian Cup will proceed as planned."

According to the report, the Saudi Asian Cup Organizing Committee reportedly emphasized, "Preparations across all organizational and operational sectors, including work related to stadiums, facilities, and support services, are progressing according to the approved schedule," adding, "We will continue to monitor the situation surrounding the tournament to ensure that appropriate conditions are in place for a successful staging."

                                                                                                          Cho Seong-joon