Thirty-Year-Old Peers in a 'World-Class' Match... Son Heung-min vs Neymar Third Showdown

Son Heung-min, Korea's Top Scorer if He Scores
Neymar Likely to Play, Missing Group Stage Matches 2 and 3

Neymar and Son Heung-min greeting each other during the friendly match between Korea and Brazil held in June in Korea. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lee Gyehwa] South Korea and Brazil's same-age soccer stars Son Heung-min (30, Tottenham) and Neymar (30, Paris Saint-Germain) will face each other for the third time at the quarterfinals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

The South Korean national soccer team, led by coach Paulo Bento, will play the round of 16 against FIFA-ranked No.1 Brazil at 4 a.m. (Korean time) on the 6th at the 974 Stadium in Doha, Qatar. South Korea advanced to the round of 16 as the second place in Group H (1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss). Brazil advanced as the first place in Group G (2 wins, 1 loss).

The Bento-led team is challenging the first away quarterfinal in 20 years since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, where they made a semifinal run. The decisive moment is likely to be the showdown between the two countries' top stars, Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain).

Their market values are also similar. According to Transfermarkt, a soccer site analyzing players' market values, Son Heung-min's estimated transfer fee is 70 million euros (about 96 billion KRW), and Neymar's is 75 million euros (about 102.9 billion KRW).

Son Heung-min of the national soccer team, preparing for the round of 16 match against Brazil, is training on the morning of the 4th (Korean time) at the Al Egla training ground in Doha, Qatar. Photo by Yonhap News

◆ EPL Top Scorer Son Heung-min, Third Showdown with Neymar

Son Heung-min is widely recognized as the greatest Asian attacker of all time. Last season, he scored 23 goals in the English Premier League (EPL), sharing the top scorer title with Mohamed Salah (Liverpool). He is the first Asian player to achieve this.

Son Heung-min and Neymar have never faced each other in professional club matches. They have met twice in national team matches. Their first encounter was a friendly match held at Seoul World Cup Stadium in 2013, where Neymar led Brazil to a 2-0 victory with a free-kick goal. In contrast, Son, then one of the youngest on the team, wore number 14 and was substituted in for Koo Ja-cheol (Jeju), playing about 30 minutes but did not score.

The second meeting was a friendly match held this June at Seoul World Cup Stadium. In their first showdown in nine years, Neymar scored two goals from penalty kicks, leading Brazil to a 5-1 victory. At that time, Neymar had recently returned from injury but performed brilliantly against South Korea. Son Heung-min, carrying the EPL top scorer title, played the full match but did not score.

Son Heung-min led South Korea to the round of 16 by winning the final group stage match against Portugal in this World Cup. He eased his mental burden by assisting Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton)'s winning goal, marking his first attacking point in the tournament. Having scored one goal in the Brazil World Cup and two in the Russia World Cup, if Son scores against Brazil this time, he will surpass Ahn Jung-hwan and Park Ji-sung (both with 3 goals) to become the top Korean scorer in World Cup history.

Brazilian national soccer team player Neymar shooting. Photo by Yonhap News

◆ 'Superstar' Neymar, Two More Goals to Tie 'Emperor' Pel?

Among the many star players produced by Brazil, Neymar shines the brightest. He has dominated as the best player in the league for 10 years at FC Barcelona (Spain) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG, France). He has appeared in 122 matches for the national team, scoring 75 goals. If he scores two more goals, he will tie the record for most goals by a Brazilian player in A matches, standing shoulder to shoulder with the 'Football Emperor' Pel? (77 goals).

Neymar injured his right ankle in the first group match against Serbia in this World Cup and missed the second and third matches. However, it is reported that he may participate in the round of 16 match. He was seen training with the ball during a closed training session held on the 3rd local time.

Previously, Neymar experienced disappointment as his team was eliminated in the semifinals of the 2014 Brazil World Cup, his World Cup debut, and in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Russia World Cup. Now, in Qatar, he is challenging for his third title in three attempts.