Son Heung-min ticket demand is climbing in Korean American communities after Son Heung-min made his Los Angeles FC (LAFC) debut as a substitute on Aug. 9 against Chicago Fire FC. Fans in cities hosting upcoming away matches are already purchasing tickets in groups and planning coordinated cheering as they anticipate his first start and first goal.
LAFC will face the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts on Aug. 16, where Son Heung-min is expected to start. The Boston FC Red Bricks, a Korean American women’s soccer club, has purchased tickets in bulk. Team captain Jinkwang Kim, 37, said, “Many of our members purchased tickets because they expect to see Son play live. Other Korean Americans are also buying because of Son, and ticket prices are higher than usual.”
The next away match will be against FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium on Aug. 23. The Dallas area has more than 100,000 Korean Americans, and Brian Jeon, secretary-general of the Korean American Association of Dallas, said a group ticket promotion is already available for Korean fans. “Because there are many Korean Americans, from next season we are considering group ticket purchases and coordinated cheering at the association level,” he noted.
With 11 regular-season matches left, LAFC’s remaining road games include San Jose Earthquakes on Sept. 13, Real Salt Lake on Sept. 21, St. Louis City SC on Sept. 27, Austin FC on Oct. 12, and Colorado Rapids on Oct. 18, along with the two August fixtures.
Korean Americans in Chicago welcomed the debut enthusiastically. Sanghwan Kim, vice president of the Korean American Association of Chicago, said, “Articles about Son keep coming out here. Chicago has more than 10 early-morning soccer clubs, and all Korean Americans are looking forward to his performance.”
The excitement extends to the national team. On Sept. 9 in Nashville, Tennessee, South Korea will face Mexico in a friendly preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The local Korean American community has secured a 400-seat section for organized cheering, prompted by news of Son Heung-min joining LAFC and the chance to see him play. Oseok Kwon, president of the Georgia Korean Sports Association, said, “We plan to use the experience from this cheering event to organize a more systematic support effort during the World Cup in June 2026.”
BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
AND YOONJAE JUNG [jung.yoonjae@koreadaily.com]
