Son Heung-min Makes ESPN's List of Best Footballers at World Cup

Korean national football team captain and Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min has been named the 13th-best footballer of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar by U.S. sports network ESPN.

The best 50 list was compiled based on votes by football experts from all over the world. 

Korea has "a deeper talent pool than in recent years, but Son remains the country's superstar, carrying a nation's hopes on his shoulders," ESPN said.

Son was the only Asian on the list led by Kylian Mbappe of France, Karim Benzema of France and Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne.

Son, who underwent surgery for fractures around his left eye on Nov. 4, appeared at a national team training session on Wednesday wearing a protective facial mask bearing his jersey number 7.

But he will wear a mask that has no number on it in during World Cup matches, as a protective mask must not have any numbers or words according to FIFA rules.