“I’m a little bit disappointed,” said a stern-faced Son Heung-Min after making his MLS debut for Los Angeles FC against the Chicago Fire last Saturday. Understandable. Given the level of performance the Korean soccer superstar has experienced playing for Tottenham Hotspur for over a decade, a draw isn’t up to the mark. But while the forward was underwhelmed by his first match on U.S. soil, his fans had a grievance of their own.

Son came onto the pitch at the 61st minute after being substituted for right winger David Martínez. Immediately, he made an impact: In the 76th minute, Son was fouled by Chicago’s Carlos Teran, and the ref awarded LAFC a penalty. Denis Bouanga scored from the spot to bring the visitors on level terms in the match that ended 2-2 at SeatGeek Stadium. However, there was something off the pitch that irked fans even more than Son’s lackluster MLS debut.

In an X post from August 11, Maximiliano Bretos, “the voice of LAFC,” tried his best to pacify the fans’ allegations on how he covered Son Heung-Min’s first Major League Soccer match last weekend. A number of fans went on X to note their displeasure at how Bretos called the ex-Tottenham captain “Sonny” during the match. But Bretos, in his own social media update, put the situation to rest with a counterpoint of his own.

“I asked him what he preferred to be called, and Sonny was his answer,” the LAFC commentator assured the fans that they don’t have anything to be concerned about. Maybe an explanation was necessary. After all, following Saturday’s MLS match, fans called out Bretos’ actions as “a major embarrassment for the MLS“. Others were simply agitated by the commentator’s way of addressing the EPL icon. But hey, the fans might also need to hold their horses before getting all fired up over the matter.

In a YouTube Short, uploaded by the official LAFC account, Son Heung-Min, sporting his signature (and infectious) smile, can be heard saying that he’s perfectly fine with being called Sonny instead of Son. Moreover, Americans are known to call their favorite celebrities by unique nicknames. So, don’t get yourself too stressed over this, maybe?

Instead, they have plenty of other things to glee over when it comes to Son’s move to the California-based soccer team.

Son Heung-Min’s transfer is already looking like a hit

Since LAFC announced Son Heung-Min as their latest signing, the USA’s soccer community has been over the moon. LAFC’s merchandise sales have shot up, and some even claim that the Korean is behind only the legendary Lionel Messi in terms of helping a team rake in the dough through merch sales after a team switch.

And that’s not all. By signing the jaw-dropping $26.5 million deal with the MLS club, Son also became the highest-paid transfer in 2025, toppling the previous record of Emmanuel Latte Lath’s $22 million move to Atlanta United earlier this season. For justifiable reasons, some are already positing that Son just might become an even bigger celebrity in the MLS than the Argentine superstar who has been weaving magic with the Herons for two seasons.

Do you think that fans can move past what the former Tottenham player is being called by the commentators and focus on making his time in the US as memorable as possible? Can Son Heung-Min bring his signature soccer skills to the fans on this side of the pond as well? Share your predictions with us below!