Son Heung-min of the English Premier League's Tottenham Hotspur was among the top 30 nominees for this year's Ballon d'Or, the award for the world's best soccer player. He is pictured here on Nov. 7 celebrating the goal he scored against Red Star Belgrade at Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, in a B Group match of the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League.
By Kim Young Deok and Lee Jihae
Photos = Yonhap News
"Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, George Weah."
Son Heung-min of the English Premier League's Tottenham Hotspur has been included on this illustrious list after scoring a wonder goal on Dec. 7 against Burnley FC.
Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho, soccer commentators and fans worldwide compared Son's spectacular strike in which he ran 70 meters to those scored by the three legendary players.
Former Tottenham striker and now BBC Sport commentator Garth Crooks said, "The last time I saw a goal scored of this quality, it was by His Excellency, the President of Liberia (referring to Weah). To run practically the entire length of the pitch, outrun a posse of defenders prior to putting the ball in the back of the net is quite extraordinary but that is what Son Heung-min did."
Last season, Son had 20 goals and 10 assists and finished 22nd in the voting for the 2019 Ballon d'Or, the annual award presented by France Football to the world's top player.
His accomplishments have surpassed mere individual records and have caused home fans to holler his name as one of the game's best.
Son played a pivotal role in his team's first appearance in the final of the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League, scoring three goals in the quarterfinal against Manchester City in April.
Son Heung-min played a key role last season in helping Tottenham Hotspur advance to the final of the UEFA Champions League. The photo above shows Son (in red) on Nov. 19 weaving through defenders in a friendly versus Brazil at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.
The BBC said in an article, "There have been successful Asian footballers in European football before but no one has ever been at the same level as Son."
Son was named the Asian Football Confederation's 2019 Asian International Player of the Year, and personally accepted the award from former Korean soccer star Park Ji-sung, one of Son's idols.
Many commentators say Son is apparently in his prime, and pundits and fans worldwide predict that the striker, who finished among the top 30 finalists for the Ballon d'Or, will scale even greater heights next year.
kyd1991@korea.kr
