South Korea captain Son Heung-min curled home a precise free kick in the sixth minute of play to open the scoring in an international friendly against Uzbekistan at Yongin Mireu Stadium on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. The low, targeted strike sailed into the bottom right corner of the net, handing the host nation an early advantage in the fixture.

The successful dead-ball effort lifted the forward to 59 career goals for the senior national team. With that milestone, the 34-year-old took sole possession of first place on the country’s all-time scoring chart, ending a record that had stood unchallenged in Asian football for decades.

Early sequence produces decisive set piece at Yongin Mireu Stadium

The sequence that resulted in the breakthrough began developing two minutes prior to the finish. In the fourth minute, Son Heung-min unleashed an initial shot from intermediate range after receiving a pass from Hwang Hee-chan, though the effort was blocked by the opposing defensive line. South Korea retained possession deep inside the attacking third and continued applying pressure right along the edge of the visiting penalty area.

GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 SON HEUNG-MIN SCORES FROM THE FREE KICK!!!! CONGRATS TO SON, THE MOMENT WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR! HE BECOMES THE ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER FOR KOREA WITH 59 GOALS! 👏👏👏 KOREA 1-0 🫡🇰🇷🇰🇷🇰🇷🇰🇷🇰🇷🇰🇷🇰🇷🇰🇷 #손흥민 #LAFC #thfc #spurs https://t.co/NmYrSPnlZq— Joel Kim (@KNTFootball) October 6, 2026

Momentum culminated in the fifth minute when Uzbek defender Jakhongir Urozov handled the ball directly in front of the box following another attacking surge from the hosts. The foul near the edge of the semi-circle presented an ideal angle for a right-footed specialist. Standing over the ball, Son bent a strike around the defensive wall and into the lower corner, eluding the outstretched dive of goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov.

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Historic scoring milestone across international fixtures

The scoring feat officially concluded a multi-year pursuit of the summit in South Korean international football. Prior to kickoff in Yongin, the captain shared the top position with legendary forward Cha Bum-kun, who dominated the national team’s attack through the 1970s and 1980s. The former record holder established the previous benchmark by tallying 58 goals over the course of his international career.

• Son Heung-min: 59 goals in 151 official matches
• Cha Bum-kun: 58 goals in 136 official matches
• Record-setting strike: 6th minute of the first half
• Finishing technique: Direct right-footed curling free kick

Reaching the pinnacle required 151 official international appearances for the experienced attacker. He had previously equaled the 58-goal tally during a 4-1 loss against Uruguay, following another set-piece goal in a 3-0 victory against Ecuador during the opening stretch of the autumn international window organized by FIFA.

Tactical setup and management under Robert Moreno

The exhibition encounter matched South Korea under interim Spanish coach Robert Moreno against an Uzbekistan squad managed by Italian tactician Fabio Cannavaro. Moreno chose to alter his attacking structure at Yongin Mireu Stadium by starting Son alongside Oh Se-hun in a twin-forward configuration, while central defender Kim Min-jae was omitted from the matchday roster.

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The friendly served as the fourth fixture for the national side under Moreno’s temporary stewardship throughout the September and October international window of 2026. Across the scheduled series, the squad picked up a 3-0 victory over Ecuador, suffered a 4-1 defeat to Uruguay, and played out a goalless draw against Venezuela prior to facing Uzbekistan.

First half action summary in Yongin

• 1′ — First half begins at Yongin Mireu Stadium
• 2′ — Foul committed by Oh Se-hun on Abdukodir Khusanov
• 4′ — Blocked effort from Son Heung-min following service from Hwang Hee-chan
• 5′ — Handball committed by defender Jakhongir Urozov outside the penalty box
• 6′ — Right-footed direct free-kick goal scored by Son Heung-min into the bottom right corner
• 14′ — Offside ruling against Uzbek forward Dostonbek Khamdamov
• 15′ — On-target shot from Abbosbek Fayzullaev saved by the South Korean goalkeeper
• 16′ — Long-range attempt from Dostonbek Khamdamov deflected away
• 27′ — Foul called on Son Heung-min against goalkeeper Abduvokhid Nematov
• 29′ — Corner conceded by defender Lee Han-beom in favor of Uzbekistan
• 31′ — Strike by Cho Hyun-taek stopped by Nematov following a pass from Oh Se-hun
• 34′ — Saved effort from Khamdamov followed by a blocked shot from Odiljon Khamrobekov
• 37′ — Infraction by Dostonbek Khamdamov on midfielder Lee Jae-sung
• 38′ — Defensive foul by Lee Jae-sung against striker Eldor Shomurodov

The definitive final score and complete outcome of the friendly encounter were not formalized at the conclusion of early dispatches, as initial tracking closed following the conclusion of first-half activity. Both coaching staffs utilized the remainder of the fixture to evaluate tactical depth across their respective national selections.