Son Heung-min will miss South Korea’s first two matches at the Asian Cup in January under a compromise agreed with Tottenham Hotspur to release him for this month’s Asian Games, the Korea Football Association (KFA) said Wednesday.
The South Korean striker will fly to Indonesia for the Asian Games — where a gold medal is likely to win him exemption from military service — after Spurs’ Premier League season opener against Newcastle United on August 11, a KFA spokesman said.
Spurs had initially sought to keep Son back until August 18, when they have a Premier League match against Fulham.
That would have effectively kept the 26-year-old out of the group stage for Asia’s mini-Olympics, where the football tournament runs from August 14 to September 2.
But Spurs later relented, striking a deal that rules Son out of South Korea’s Asian Cup games on January 7 and 11 against the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan, as well as an international friendly in November.
There are precedents for footballers being granted exemptions from South Korea’s 21-month military service, as happened in 2002, when the national team reached the World Cup semifinals, and in 2014, when they won gold at the Asian Games in Incheon.
However, Son missed South Korea’s triumph in 2014 when his former club, Bayer Leverkusen, refused to release him.
Son, who is on Spurs’ pre-season tour of the United States, said he felt “sorry to be leaving my team-mates” for the Asian Games at the start of the Premier League season.
“I am playing for my country and that’s also important, but honestly I feel very sorry about that,” he was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
Asian Games gold and a military service exemption would be a consolation for Son, who broke down in tears when South Korea were eliminated at the World Cup group stage despite stunning Germany 2-0 in their final game.
Son, who last month signed a new deal keeping him at Spurs until 2023, has emerged as one of the club’s key players, scoring 47 goals in 140 appearances to become the top Asian scorer in Premier League history.
Spurs and South Korea reach compromise over Son Heung-min
Spurs and South Korea reach compromise over Son Heung-min
Roshn Group announced as title partner of LIV Golf Riyadh
- LIV Golf’s season opener returns to the capital from Feb. 4-7 with entertainment over 4 nights under the lights
RIYADH: Roshn Group, Saudi Arabia’s leading real-estate developer, has been announced as the title partner of LIV Golf’s Riyadh event for 2026.
Roshn Group LIV Golf Riyadh will open the league’s 2026 season from Feb. 4-7 at Riyadh Golf Club, as it did last year. The event will again stage the world’s largest professional night-golf tournament.
The event will have some of the game’s leading players, live entertainment, and a range of premium hospitality and fan experiences across four nights of competition.
In 2025, fans were treated to drone light shows, live concerts from award-winning artists, and a Fan Village featuring rides, games, food trucks and family-friendly activities.
As a part of the group’s global partnership across all LIV Golf events, the two brands also launched the “Roshn Rising Stars” program, which will introduce 100 young people to the sport.
Chad Biggs, LIV Golf’s executive vice president and head of global partnerships, said: “Last season’s event under the lights in Riyadh delivered an event unlike anything else in the sports world.
“With ROSHN Group as the title partner this year, we’re excited to collectively build on that momentum in 2026 with an expanded four-day tournament, more entertainment, and enhanced fan experience.
Fans can expect a world-class field headlined by reigning LIV Golf Individual Champion Jon Rahm and last season’s Team Champions Legion XIII, alongside defending LIV Golf Riyadh 2025 winner Adrian Meronk of Cleeks Golf Club.
They will be joined by some of the sport’s biggest names, including Bryson DeChambeau (Crushers GC), Phil Mickelson (HyFlyers GC), Cam Smith (Ripper GC), Dustin Johnson (4Aces GC), Sergio Garcia (Fireballs GC), and Joaquin Niemann (Torque GC).
The 2026 field will feature 13 major champions with a combined 23 major championship titles.
Fans can secure their four-day and single-day grounds passes as well as hospitality packages at LIVGolf.com.
