Korea captain Son Heung-min flashed a packed stadium a hand gesture that wasn’t his trademark camera celebration after being booed during the national team’s 2026 World Cup qualifying match against China on Tuesday at home.
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A round of boos from Chinese supporters bounced around Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul before the end of the first half, where neither side managed to make a dent on the scoresheet.
The Tottenham Hotspur captain held up a “three” with his right hand and formed a circle with his left, a callback to the last time Korea met China on the pitch — which ended in defeat for Team Dragon.
“I didn’t think I had done anything to warrant booing, and I could not accept that while playing on our home pitch,” Son told reporters after the match, according to Yonhap News Agency. “I think it was also disrespectful toward our fans. So I wanted to show something to the Chinese fans and remind them we won by 3-0 before.”
The near-capacity stadium, packed with 64,935 fans, responded to Son’s “3-0” with resounding cheers as the camera found his raised hands and blasted the shot on the two large screens on either side of the stadium.
Korea beat China 3-0 last November in Shenzhen, China in their first meeting in Group C of the second qualifying round. Son was involved in all three goals, scoring a brace with a penalty and a header in the first half and getting the assist for No. 3 in the 87th minute on a free kick.
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“But the most important thing is we played a solid match and came away with the victory,” Son added, according to Yonhap.
A clip of Son hugging China goalkeeper and captain Wang Dalei, looking dejected in the net after the final whistle, also gained traction online.
Korea ended the second round of the 2026 World Cup as Group C winners with five wins and two draws. China narrowly edged out Thailand for second place, also advancing to the third round. Qualifiers resume in September.
