The surge in Son Heung-min’s popularity following his move to LAFC has cleared out official jersey stocks and prompted a wave of counterfeit sales across global online platforms.
As of August 12, listings on TikTok and Instagram stores promoted “Son Heung-min latest jersey” and “LAFC #7 home/away” for $20 to $60. Many offered “70% off” or “free shipping + extra discount,” but most lacked manufacturer details or license markings, indicating they were counterfeits. More than 20 accounts selling such items were identified.
The trend extends to eBay, where sellers from Panama, Algeria, Uganda, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Qatar, and Australia are offering imitation jerseys. Many have zero feedback or recently created accounts, suggesting short-term, unofficial ventures capitalizing on the transfer hype. Prices are roughly one-fifth of the official $190 retail price, with some as low as $20.
Meanwhile, official supply remains tight. The MLS online store lists only the black home authentic jersey in size 3XL, with shipping scheduled for September 12. At the LAFC HQ store in BMO Stadium, all home jerseys—both replica and authentic—are sold out except small and large sizes. Some fans are buying women’s XL or alternate lines, or picking up nameless jerseys from outlets and paying $30 for name printing at HQ. Lines there have been reported as long as two hours.
Jerseys featuring Son’s name in Korean have been especially sought after. Produced in limited quantities, these name sets will not be restocked once sold out. Some fans criticized the font as overly plain, but LAFC said its proposed design was rejected by MLS, and only the current version is approved.
With official channels running dry, fans have been sharing tips on where to find legitimate stock, pointing to Adidas, Pro Soccer, Niky’s Sports, and Soccer.com.
Adding to the frenzy, MLS and sports card maker Topps are offering a limited-edition Son Heung-min trading card from August 11–14 for $11.99 per card. Only as many cards as ordered will be produced. Some orders will include rare autograph or uniform-piece (relic) editions, or ultra-rare runs with only 10, 5, or 1 copy worldwide. Shipping starts September 5.
BY YOONJAE JUNG [jung.yoonjae@koreadaily.com]
