Son Heung-min breaks South Korea scoring record in 2-0 Uzbekistan win

The captain scored his 59th international goal with an early free kick before Oh Se-hun sealed a controlled friendly victory.

South Korea beat Uzbekistan 2-0 in an international friendly on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, with Son Heung-min and Oh Se-hun scoring either side of half-time. The result mattered beyond the scoreline because Son’s opening free kick was his 59th senior international goal, moving him clear at the top of South Korea’s men’s scoring list.

The record-breaking moment arrived early. Son won a free kick near the penalty area and drove a right-footed effort into the lower corner in the sixth minute. The milestone was documented in coverage of Son Heung-min’s record-breaking free kick, while the match itself finished with South Korea protecting a clean sheet and adding a second goal after the interval.

South Korea vs Uzbekistan at a glance

Detail	South Korea	Uzbekistan
Final score	2	0
Goals	Son Heung-min 6 min; Oh Se-hun 60 min	None
Venue	Yongin Mireu Stadium	Away team
Competition	International friendly	International friendly
Shape	4-4-2	4-2-3-1

Son turns an early opening into a national record

The first goal came from the kind of situation that has long suited Son. He received the ball close to the box, drew a defensive intervention and then took responsibility for the resulting free kick. His finish gave goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov little chance and immediately changed the rhythm of the contest.

Goal number 59 moved Son beyond Cha Bum-kun in South Korea’s men’s international scoring record. The achievement carries weight because it combines longevity with production across different coaches, tactical systems and major tournaments. Son has often played as a wide forward, central striker or second forward, yet his central value has remained his ability to turn limited space into a high-quality shot.

The timing was useful for the team as well. South Korea entered the game needing a cleaner attacking performance after mixed results during the international window. Scoring inside six minutes allowed the hosts to defend with more patience and forced Uzbekistan to take greater risks when building attacks.

Oh Se-hun gives Korea the second goal it needed

A one-goal lead can make a friendly awkward, especially when the trailing side starts pressing higher. Uzbekistan found periods of possession and created enough pressure to keep the game competitive, but South Korea gained breathing room around the hour mark. Song Min-kyu delivered a lifted ball into the penalty area and Oh Se-hun met it with a header to make the score 2-0.

The goal rewarded the decision to use Oh alongside Son in a front two. Oh offered a direct aerial target, occupied the central defenders and gave South Korea another route when short combinations were difficult. Son could move toward the ball or drift into a channel without leaving the penalty area empty.

That balance is more meaningful than the raw total of two goals. Korea did not dominate every phase, and Uzbekistan carried a threat through Eldor Shomurodov and Abbosbek Fayzullaev. The hosts were effective at the moments that decided the match, then managed the final half hour without allowing the contest to become chaotic.

How the two starting lineups shaped the match

Pre-match information in the South Korea vs Uzbekistan lineup and broadcast guide focused on selection and viewing details. Once the game began, Korea’s 4-4-2 placed Son and Oh Se-hun together, with Lee Kang-in and Hwang Hee-chan providing width and ball-carrying support. Lee Jae-sung and Park Jin-seop worked through the centre, while Jo Hyeon-woo started in goal.

Area	South Korea’s approach	Uzbekistan’s response
Front line	Son moved around Oh Se-hun, who stayed closer to the centre-backs	Shomurodov led the line with Fayzullaev supporting from the left
Wide play	Lee Kang-in and Hwang Hee-chan tried to advance from midfield positions	Wide players helped press and looked for space behind Korea’s full-backs
Second phase	Korea looked for crosses and loose balls around the penalty area	Uzbekistan tried to regain possession and counter before Korea reset
Game state	The early lead allowed a more measured pace	The visitors had to push higher after falling behind

Uzbekistan competed but lacked the finishing touch

The 2-0 score should not be read as a match in which Uzbekistan offered nothing. The visitors had spells of pressure, reached promising areas and tested Jo Hyeon-woo. Their best route came when they moved the ball quickly enough to isolate a defender or release Fayzullaev into space. What was missing was the final action that turns territory into a goal.

That difference separated the teams. South Korea converted an early set-piece opportunity and later made a cross count. Uzbekistan’s attacks produced concern but no decisive finish. In international football, where preparation time is short and combinations are less rehearsed than at club level, efficiency often matters more than extended possession.

What the victory says about South Korea

For South Korea, the strongest part of the performance was the response to an uneven run of games. The team had beaten Ecuador, lost heavily to Uruguay and drawn with Venezuela during the wider window. A win against Uzbekistan did not erase every concern, but it delivered a cleaner result and a more functional partnership in attack.

The defence also coped without Kim Min-jae, who was left out amid reported fatigue. Korea used a reshaped back line and still completed the match without conceding. That does not settle the depth question, because Uzbekistan created moments that stronger opponents may punish, but it gave the coaching staff useful evidence about alternative combinations.

The next step is to reproduce the same clarity against opponents who press more aggressively and defend the penalty area with greater control. Son’s free kick cannot be the repeatable tactical plan. The more encouraging detail was that the second goal came through a different route, with movement, delivery and a strong central header.

Why Son’s 59th goal matters

International scoring records are shaped by era, match volume and opposition, so they should not be used as a simple ranking of players from different generations. Even with that context, reaching 59 goals is a major marker. Son has carried the creative and finishing burden for South Korea for years, often while opponents build their defensive plan around limiting him.

The free kick also matched the player’s broader profile. He remains dangerous from open play, on the counterattack and from dead-ball situations. At 34, his role may continue to change, but the Uzbekistan match showed that his value does not depend only on speed over long distances. Technique, timing and decision-making can keep him decisive as the national team adjusts around him.

The final word from the match

The South Korea vs Uzbekistan live match coverage tracked a night that began as a routine international friendly and became a record-setting occasion. South Korea won 2-0, Son moved to 59 international goals and Oh Se-hun strengthened the case for a two-forward option. Uzbekistan made the hosts work, but Korea’s finishing and game management produced the clearer performance.

For supporters, the lasting image is the early free kick. For the coaching staff, the more useful takeaway may be the combination of an early lead, a second goal from a centre-forward and a clean sheet from a changed defence. Those pieces give South Korea something practical to build on after an inconsistent international window.