Son Heung-Min Hoped to Mirror Shohei Ohtani’s MLB and Dodgers Success at LAFC

“I can say 100 percent that you, the Dodger organization and I share the same goal – to bring World Series parades to the streets of Los Angeles,” said Shohei Ohtani in 2023, when he signed a multi-year deal with the LA Dodgers. And in 2024, he followed up on his promise in style, as the MLB team claimed its eighth World Series championship title by defeating the Yankees at their home ground. Truly, an incredible feat by the Japanese star’s team. And that’s exactly what LAFC hopes to emulate with Son Heung-Min.

Ever since the Son signed for the Los Angeles soccer club last month, the MLS’s popularity has been skyrocketing. Obviously, this looks like an opportunity to for him to cash in and ride on his stardom to reach out to more LAFC fans around the world. In an article by Front Office Sports from August 31, the top brass of the MLS franchise explained how they are eager to follow the Dodgers’ blueprint when it comes to Son.

“In conversations with LAFC’s ownership, they look at Ohtani’s signing as the model of what they can do with Son and the potential here,” LAFC’s intentions to go global in collaboration with Son were explained by the CEO of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, Kathryn Schloessman. “So that means more sponsorships, record ticket revenues, and merchandise sales. They see this as a huge global marketing opportunity to really expand the brand, Schloessman stated further.

Ohtani’s impact on the MLB can hardly be overstated. The Japanese pitcher has multiple international sponsorships under his belt, including New Balance, Fanatics, Japan Airlines, and Seiko, and plays a crucial role in helping boost ticket sales for the Dodgers. The pitcher’s involvement in the MLB helped the league record an incredible 183% rise in jersey sales in Japan last year. On top of that, some reports suggest that more than 250,000 Japanese toursists have visited LA to watch Ohtani in action. Goes without saying, this looks like the perfect example for the LAFC to follow and help Son onto a similar career trajectory.

And on Sunday, the perfect stage to test out the waters arrived for LAFC. More than three weeks after his arrival in LA, the former Tottenham Hotspur striker finally made his home debut for LAFC against San Diego FC. Needless to say, John Thorrington, LAFC’s co-president and general manager, was super excited about the much-awaited moment. “I think it’s going to be one of those nights people will talk about for years,” he said, “The energy inside BMO Stadium will be electric because of what Sonny represents for our club and our city. With Son in the team, there’s every chance for a special moment that becomes part of our history from the very first night he plays in L.A.”

But Son’s home debut only had heartbreak to offer. Hirving “Chucky” Lozano and Anders Dreyer scored in two halves to bring SDFC all three points and stay on top of the Western Conference. Denis Bouanga’s lone goal for LAFC in the 15th minute was nullified by the end of the night. Furthermore, SDFC goalie CJ Dos Santos even managed to save a shot on goal by Son, to make the defeat even more painful for the Korean.

Santos said later about the adrenaline rush of being able to stop Son in his tracks: “It’s kind of a flash, that’s how quick he is on the ball and I just did my best and lucky I was there to make the challenge.” Talk about adding salt to injury. But one loss at home would hardly make an impact on Son’s surging celebrity status!

Despite the loss, high hopes remain for Son Heung-Min

Ahead of Son’s LAFC home debut, the hype around the match was incredible. Taking a gander at the craze, the LA Times noted, “Son Heung-min’s debut match is reminiscent of Messi. When Messi joined Inter Miami, there was a similar phenomenon where ticket prices skyrocketed.” The BMO Stadium was packed to the brim with a sold-out crowd of 22,000, who flocked to witness Son’s big match. But such an explosion in attendance probably wasn’t entirely unexpected.

LAFC signed Son Heung-Min for a record fee of $26.5 million, a record number this MLS season. Soon, comparisons with Lionel Messi’s transfer to the MLS began doing the rounds all over social media. In the weeks that followed, Son proved that the speculations and predictions weren’t all based on random and fleeting thoughts by his fans.

By mid-August, jerseys carrying Son’s name became the most-sold sports merchandise in the world, surpassing the numbers achieved by even Messi and NBA legend LeBron James. But will this craze continue to surround Son if LAFC doesn’t have the results to show for its mega investment? What do you think?