One month after joining Los Angeles FC (LAFC), Son Heung-min's LAFC jerseys have sold 1.5 million units, breaking the previous record set by Lionel Messi—when Messi joined Inter Miami CF, his Inter Miami jerseys sold 500,000 units in the first month.
Major League Soccer (MLS) has welcomed a new phenomenon. Since Son Heung-min joined LAFC in August, he has not only scored multiple goals against opponents but also achieved an unprecedented feat: the No. 7 jersey he wears has become the best-selling jersey in MLS in the first month after a player’s joining, even surpassing that of Messi at Inter Miami. With nearly 1.5 million of his jerseys sold in just one month, the influence of this South Korean superstar has far exceeded the football pitch.
Since his arrival, the "Son Heung-min Effect" has been stunning. The number of social media followers of LAFC has doubled, and views of club-related content surged by 594% in August, reaching nearly 34 million.
This is unprecedented for MLS. Even former Real Madrid star Gareth Bale failed to spark such a frenzy in Los Angeles back in the day. According to John Thorrington, LAFC’s vice president, the media impact brought by Son Heung-min is five times that of Bale.
Extraordinary Commercial Impact
On the pitch, Son Heung-min has won over the BMO Stadium with 5 goals and 2 assists in 6 games, helping LAFC secure a favorable position in the Western Conference. However, what truly broke the record is his commercial impact off the pitch.
Messi once set a record of selling 500,000 jerseys in the first month after joining Inter Miami. In contrast, since Son Heung-min joined LAFC in August, his jerseys have sold 1.5 million units in just one month—three times as many as Messi's figure back then.
Hero of Los Angeles and Asia
Son Heung-min is the captain of the South Korean national team. Shortly before his transfer, he also led Tottenham Hotspur to win the Europa League, and he was welcomed like a savior in Los Angeles.
For thousands of South Korean fans in the city, "Sonny" is more than just a player—it is a cultural symbol. "He is probably the most famous South Korean in the world," commented Josh Lee, spokesperson for the Tiger Fans Group.
