Son Heung-min’s move from Tottenham Hotspur to LAFC has been one of the headline-grabbing transfers of this MLS window, rivaled only by Rodrigo De Paul’s arrival at Inter Miami. The South Korean star’s signing sparked a wave of excitement that saw him surpass Lionel Messi in a record the Argentine had set in the United States.
According to LAFC vice president John Tarrington, Son’s jersey is now the best-selling sports jersey in the world. Wearing the No. 7, he has outsold global icons like Messi, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry.
“This is now the second week where we’re not just talking about the highest-selling soccer jersey in the MLS,” Tarrington told talkSPORT host Andy Goldstein. “It is the highest-selling jersey of any sport in the world right now”.
Messi set the MLS record last year by selling 500,000 Inter Miami jerseys in his first month, per Front Office Sports. However, the outlet reports that Son is on pace to sell nearly 1.5 million jerseys in his first month with LAFC — tripling Messi’s total.
The jersey of Son Heung-Min #7 of Los Angeles FC is displayed in the dressing room prior to the MLS match against Chicago Fire FC. (Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
Until now, Messi had topped the league’s jersey sales chart on four separate occasions this year. But according to Tarrington, Son is expected to claim the No. 1 spot when MLS updates its rankings.
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The ‘Son effect’ in Los Angeles
Son’s arrival in Los Angeles has also had a major impact off the field. The city is home to the largest Korean community outside of South Korea, with roughly 300,000 residents, and demand to see the former Tottenham forward has sent ticket prices soaring.
According to The Korea Times, the cost of attending LAFC matches has jumped from $300 to $1,500 since his signing. Still, Tarrington emphasized that the success of Son’s move will ultimately be judged by results on the pitch.
“The wisdom of this move will not be measured by commercial success, it will be measured by trophies and on-field success,” he said. “That’s what we’re really excited about. There’s two sides to it”.
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How Son fared in LAFC debut
The 33-year-old forward made his first appearance for LAFC in Week 27 of the 2025 MLS season, coming off the bench in a 2–2 road draw against the Chicago Fire. Entering the match in the 71st minute, Son made an immediate impact — winning a penalty — directly contributing in one of his team’s goals on the night.
