Son Heung-min Makes MLS Debut After $26M Transfer to Near-Sellout

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — Son Heung-min made a surprise debut for LAFC on Saturday, just four days after the club officially announced his transfer.

The former Tottenham Hotspur star—who was eligible to play after reportedly receiving his visa Friday—entered the match between LAFC and the Chicago Fire in the 61st minute. Son did not score, but earned a penalty for the Black and Gold which was scored by Denis Bouanga to tie the score. 

The match ended in a 2–2 draw. 

Before the match, it was unclear whether Son—who is reportedly the most expensive transfer in MLS history at around $26.5 million—was going to see the pitch. 

While the 33-year-old entered the field for warm-ups alongside the rest of his team, an LAFC spokesperson told Front Office Sports that the club was not going to make any pregame announcement on whether their new acquisition would receive any playing time.

Son said he was “disappointed” in the results, but feels he will be more prepared next week as he spends more time with the club. Teammate Ryan Hollingsead was complimentary of Son, saying that unlike many transfers, he was pushing to play as soon as possible.

“He came just a couple days ago and was just watching his phone, counting down to see if he could get his visa in time to come on this trip. … He was just immediately pushing to get here, to get on this trip,” Hollingsead said.

Near-Sellout Outside of Chicago

Despite the uncertainty, droves of fans still made their way to SeatGeek Stadium, with many arriving hours before the game hoping to catch a glimpse of Son. The Fire announced that 19,831 fans attended the game, slightly short of a sellout (21,120). 

The attendees were a mix of Chicago Fire and LAFC supporters, as well as South Korean and Tottenham fans.

It was the first of just three Fire games at SeatGeek Stadium, their primary home from 2006 to 2019. The team plays most of its games at Soldier Field in downtown Chicago, which is occupied by the Bears towards the end of the summer. The stadium can fit more than 60,000 fans, and the Fire average about 25,000 fans per game, according to transfermarkt.us.

The Fire will play a few home games at SeatGeek Stadium every year until 2028, when they are expected to move to their new $650 million stadium in downtown Chicago, a few blocks from Soldier Field

Asked about his first impression of MLS, the 2021 Premier League Golden Boot winner seemed surprised by the cheers he got despite playing on the road.

“I used to play in the Premier League. When I play away grounds, they were always booing me,” Son said at the postgame press conference.

He will have to get used to playing on the road first, as LAFC have two more road games before Son can make his BMO Stadium debut on Aug. 31.