Son Heung-min’s jersey was the top-selling sports uniform worldwide over the past week, Los Angeles FC co-president John Thorrington said in an Aug. 15 interview with British outlet TalkSport.Thorrington said sales have surged since Son left the English Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur on Aug. 7 to join LAFC.“Since Son joined our team, his jersey has outsold those of every athlete in all sports over the past week,” Thorrington said. “It surpassed the sales of soccer stars Lionel Messi of Inter Miami in MLS and Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, as well as NBA icons LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.”Thorrington did not disclose specific figures. Son’s authentic away jersey, identical to the one worn by players, is priced at $194.99 on MLS’s official online store.Ticket prices for LAFC home games have also jumped. According to resale platform SeatGeek, prime seats for the Aug. 31 match against San Diego—expected to be Son’s home debut—were going for $1,500 as of Aug. 11. Comparable seats for other home matches have sold for about $300, meaning prices have risen roughly fivefold.Son made his debut just three days after joining LAFC, appearing in an away match against Chicago on Aug. 10. He will seek his first MLS goal in an away game against New England on Aug. 17. As of Aug. 15, LAFC is fifth in the Western Conference, while New England is 11th in the Eastern Conference.While Son has left the EPL, England’s top flight and other major European leagues will open their new seasons this weekend. In the EPL, Hwang Hee-chan of Wolverhampton Wanderers and 18-year-old prospect Park Seung-su of Newcastle United are preparing to play. Hwang will face defending champion Manchester City on Aug. 17, with attention on whether he can score. Hampered last season by an ankle injury, Hwang recorded only two goals in 21 league matches and has been linked to a possible transfer. He will need an impressive opener to reestablish himself as a starter. Park, who joined Newcastle last month, is aiming for his EPL debut against Aston Villa on Aug. 16. He made substitute appearances in preseason matches, impressing manager Eddie Howe with skillful dribbling.In France’s Ligue 1, the first round could feature a “Korean derby.” Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain, with Lee Kang-in, will visit Nantes on Aug. 18. Hong Hyun-seok and Kwon Hyuk-kyu, who both joined Nantes last month, are preparing for their Ligue 1 debuts. Lee scored PSG’s first goal of the season in a UEFA Super Cup win over Tottenham on Aug. 14, boosting his case for a starting role.Spain’s La Liga kicks off on Aug. 16, with perennial rivals FC Barcelona and Real Madrid again expected to battle for the title. Last season, Barcelona edged second-place Real to win the championship. Beginning in the 2025–26 season, Barcelona’s 18-year-old rising star Lamine Yamal and Real’s French striker Kylian Mbappe will each wear the symbolic No. 10 shirt, adding extra heat to their expected duel for the scoring crown.
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