Son Heung-min’s First Career Trophy Celebration Shared with Close Friend Park Seo-joon Amid Blackmail Scandal
On May 22, Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min celebrated a career milestone by winning his first major club trophy — the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League. Posting photos on social media that day, including one with close friend and actor Park Seo-joon, Son Heung-min’s joy was evident following Tottenham’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United at the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Spain.
Tottenham’s win marked the club’s first trophy since the 2007–08 League Cup and their third Europa League (formerly UEFA Cup) title, with previous wins in 1971–72 and 1983–84. Brennan Johnson’s decisive goal secured the victory and a spot in the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League, a significant achievement given Tottenham’s 17th-place finish in the 2024–25 Premier League season.
For Son Heung-min, who joined Tottenham in 2015 for a then-record £22 million for an Asian player, this victory was especially sweet. Despite playing over 600 professional matches — 454 for Tottenham alone — and reaching three previous finals without success, this was Son Heung-min’s first major trophy since his 2010 debut with Hamburg.
Even with a recent foot injury limiting his playtime, Son Heung-min entered the Europa League final as a substitute in the 67th minute and played a key role in maintaining Tottenham’s lead. After the match, he joyfully told TNT Sports, “Let me call myself a legend — just for today.”
Amid celebrations, Son Heung-min faces a blackmail scandal involving a woman who claimed to be pregnant with his child and demanded 300 million won in 2023, a payment Son Heung-min reportedly made before she had an abortion. In 2025, her new partner attempted to extort an additional 70 million won, and after Son Heung-min refused, the story was leaked. Both suspects were arrested for blackmail and extortion. While police confirmed the pregnancy and abortion, paternity remains unverified, sparking mixed public reactions in South Korea.
Son Heung-min’s 2024–25 season will be remembered as a mix of triumph and turmoil. On the pitch, he helped Tottenham end a long trophy drought and achieve European glory, cementing his legacy as one of Asia’s greatest footballers. Off the pitch, he faces ongoing legal challenges as the blackmail case unfolds. Fans and observers alike await further developments while celebrating his landmark victory in the UEFA Europa League.
