MLS: How Son Heung-min is having a Lionel Messi-like impact in Los Angeles

If perfect transfers exist in football, then Son Heung-min's move to Los Angeles FC looks set to be one of them.

His first two months in Major League Soccer (MLS) have been a rare conjunction of a player making the best move they could at a certain point in their career, and a club signing the best player they could at a particular moment in time.

Son has eight goals and three assists in his first nine appearances for LAFC, and his arrival has them being spoken of as serious contenders in the upcoming MLS Cup play-offs.

There were moments towards the end of Son's time at Tottenham Hotspur where his performances were questioned.

It was not clear whether this was a blip for the 33-year-old or the kind of drop in quality many players begin to experience once they reach their 30s.

His displays during his early weeks at LAFC have reassured fans that any dip was temporary.

Yes, MLS may be an easier level of league for players to move to as their careers wind down, but it brings its own challenges and is not always easy to adapt to.

Several big-name players from Europe failed in MLS, and some made their teams worse, not better. So far, Son has combined the hype and attention of a big signing with big performances.

In many ways, Son has been as good a fit for the team as Carlos Vela, who was the franchise's flagship signing before its first MLS season in 2018.

"It is very comparable," says Dave Denholm, a long-time radio broadcaster who commentates on LAFC matches. "Vela had to be incredible, both on and off the pitch, and he was.

"Son has done the exact same thing, which I didn't think was going to be possible for a very long time for LAFC. It was the perfect signing."

Just as Vela represented the large Mexican community on the south-west coast of California, Son represents Los Angeles' considerable Korean population.

"I would say the Korean community is a close second to the Mexican community in the city of Los Angeles," says Trebor Tracy, owner of Los Angeles FC fansite Angels on Parade.

"One of the big supporters' groups [the Tigers] is a majority Korean supporters' group, and they've always been a big part of the culture being built here for LAFC. So when we did sign Son, it was a big moment for them.

"It was that mix of a really good player who also already had the hearts of the community on arriving."

Those waiting excitedly to see what Son could do in LA have not been disappointed, with him even exceeding expectations.

Max Bretos is a soccer broadcaster who has witnessed all the big arrivals in MLS, from David Beckham to Lionel Messi, and believes Son's immediate acclimatisation makes his arrival unique.

"He landed on a Tuesday. On Wednesday he had the introductory press conference, and his visa process went through quickly, so by Friday he was on his way to Chicago to play his first game," says Bretos.

"Then he played in the game, off the bench, and you could see it there. His second game was in New England, where they play on [artificial] turf. Generally, when the big stars arrive, they don't want to put them on turf right away, for obvious reasons, but he started, played 90 minutes and assisted a goal.

"He's played every game, and he's played almost every minute of every game. This is unheard of. He was on the field immediately, and you can see the reaction of his team-mates - they loved him. It's like he'd already been there for months."

Big signings in MLS can often become the defining aspect of the franchise they join as everything becomes all about one player, but this has not been the case in LA.

"If a player like Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in MLS, he would move the needle in many ways, but if he arrived it kind of becomes his club," adds Bretos.

"Much like in Miami with Messi - which is fine. But I think LAFC maintains its identity as Son Heung-min just blends into it, which I think is what he wanted. It's a perfect marriage."

A good example of this teamwork is the form of forward Denis Bouanga.

Since Son's arrival, Gabon international Bouanga has scored 11 goals in nine games. This run has made him the first player with three consecutive 20-goal seasons in MLS, and put him level with Messi at the top of the 2025 Golden Boot race.

Between them, Son and Bouanga have scored LAFC's past 18 goals, and with the end-of-season MLS Cup play-offs just around the corner, there are now shouts that LAFC could win it.

There have been signs that Son's arrival is having a similar impact to that of Messi.

From media coverage to ticket sales to his still world-class performances, Messi created a buzz around MLS that had not been seen since Beckham joined LA Galaxy in 2007.

Though the numbers have not quite reached Messi levels, Son's impact has been significant.

His introductory media conference has 200,000 views on YouTube (Messi's has 337,000), and LAFC reported about 34 billion views across social media channels when Son arrived in August (a 594% increase).

The club's general manager, John Thorrington, said Son's shirt was the highest-selling across all sports.

A free-kick against FC Dallas was his first goal for his new team, and caught the eye of many Spurs fans who always believed he should have taken more free-kicks for their club.

"I don't want to lean into the social media aspect too much, but when we look at our numbers across the board, it's five or six times the amount of interactions or views in anything we do," Bretos added. "So you see the impact - it's huge."

In some ways, the global appeal does not matter so much when the local buzz is so high.

Plenty of big names have been through MLS without making such a connection, but on this early evidence, Son will not be one of them.

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