Son Heung-min picks his favorite FIFA World Cup legend of all time
Son Heung-min will undoubtedly be one of the main attractions at the 2026 World Cup. He is the biggest star for South Korea and has already proven to be a notable figure in the United States since arriving in MLS to play for LAFC. Now, the forward has chosen his favorite legend in the history of the FIFA tournament.
With the event in North America drawing closer, FIFA’s official social media accounts released a video this week showing players from different national teams selecting their favorite legend in World Cup history.
Among them was Son Heung-min, who did not hesitate in his answer: “Cristiano Ronaldo.” Unlike many of the other players interviewed, the LAFC star did not choose an icon from his own country, instead basing his selection on personal preference and his admiration for the Portuguese forward’s qualities.
This is not the first time Son has singled out Ronaldo above any other player. In fact, a few months ago he also named the Portugal star as an inspiration. “Cristiano Ronaldo has always been my biggest idol and I’ve grown up watching him when he was playing for Manchester United alongside Park Ji Sun. I still watch him play and he’s still my idol,” Son said.
Other players gave a variety of answers. South Korea star Lee Jae-sung chose a legend from his own country, Park Ji Sung. Others did the same, including Brazil’s Estevao, who picked Ronaldo Nazario; Colombia’s Luis Diaz, who highlighted Radamel Falcao Garcia; and Japan’s Takefusa Kubo, who named Yuto Nagatomo.
Is Cristiano Ronaldo a World Cup legend?
Beyond Son Heung-min’s comments and his personal reasons for choosing Cristiano Ronaldo, it is fair to ask whether the 41-year-old forward can truly be considered a World Cup legend based on his performances with the Portugal national team.
In Ronaldo’s favor, he is among the players who have appeared in the most editions of the FIFA tournament in history. So far he has played in five, starting with Germany 2006, and he is tied with players such as Lionel Messi, Lothar Matthaus, Gianluigi Buffon, and Andres Guardado. In fact, this year he could break that record and become the first player to appear in six World Cups, something Messi could also achieve.
However, in terms of team results, Ronaldo’s World Cup résumé is less remarkable. Across his five appearances, Portugal’s best finish was fourth place in 2006, when they were eliminated by France in the semifinals. That was followed by one quarterfinal exit, two Round of 16 eliminations, and one group-stage exit.
Individually, Cristiano Ronaldo’s numbers are solid, though they fall short of the extraordinary standards he has set throughout his career. He has played 22 matches at the World Cup — fifth on the all-time list — recording 8 goals and 2 assists. His best tournament performance came at Russia 2018, when he scored a hat trick against Spain and added another goal against Morocco.