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South Korea's key striker and captain Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham) admitted there was a time when he contemplated retirement, then laughed and said, "I'll be stronger so I won't think about it again."

South Korea (22nd in the FIFA rankings), led by Hwang Sun-hong, drew 1-1 at home against Thailand (101st) in their third Group C match of the FIFA Confederations Cup North America 2026 Asian qualifying tournament at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on June 21.

Son Heung-min scored the game-winning goal in the 42nd minute, but the team was unable to hold on to the lead and settled for a disappointing draw.

Son Heung-min, who was troubled by South Korea's disappointing performance at the Asian Cup (4th place) and the Lee Kang-in controversy, recently revealed that he considered quitting the national team.

After the Thailand game, Son opened up about the issue once again, saying, "If it was just my personal thoughts, I would have quit (the national team). ("I asked many retired seniors, my father, and other people around me for advice, but in the end, I came to the conclusion that there is no other soccer player who is loved as much as I am," he explained.

"As I thought about it, I remembered the fans who always gave me strength and love, and I wondered if I deserved to pass the burden to my teammates in such a difficult situation," he added.

He then promised that he would not think about quitting the national team in the future.

"I want to keep this promise, and I will grow into a stronger person so that I will never have such weak thoughts again," he said.

On the day, Son Heung-min exchanged passes with Lee Kang-in, with whom he had a conflicted relationship, several times on the field. After the game, he even rubbed shoulders with Lee Kang-in.

Son said of Lee, "He's a very good player. I tried to change the atmosphere when he came on as a substitute, and it really changed the atmosphere." "Since the Asian Cup, I can feel that we are working together more and more. I can feel him growing more and more, so it's fun to play with him," he said, praising his junior.

Son Heung-min also commented on the draw, saying, "It's a disappointing result. We still have a lot of work to do to break through their defense," he said, "but it's positive that we tried to do something more as a team despite the short time we had to prepare."

After a short one-day break, South Korea will travel to Thailand on Feb. 22 for the return match and fourth match of the group stage on Feb. 26 at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.

"There are no easy games," said Son Heung-min, who faces a tough task away from home. "No game is easy, especially away from home because the opponent's passionate support will be there. We've seen what kind of game Thailand wants to play, so we will prepare better for the fourth match and get a good result." https://www.oncasinosite.net