LAFC Director General John Thornton has claimed that new signing Heung-min Son has surpassed Lionel Messi and LeBron James in jersey sales.
Fans have challenged his bold claim on X (formerly Twitter), pointing out the lack of credible sources.
LAFC Chief John Thornton Hails Heung-min Son Impact
Tottenham Hotspur sold one of their longest-serving players, Heung-min Son, to MLS side LAFC earlier in August. LAFC, who are 10/1 with football betting sites to win MLS, paid Spurs £19.5 million for Son.
Son made his MLS debut in a 2-2 draw with Chicago Fire on August 10. He marked his debut with a fine assist. Son added another assist to his name a week later, helping LAFC to a 2-0 win over New England Revolution.
Son is one of the most popular personalities in all of Asia. According to Korean outlet Chosun, an average of 5,000 Korean fans attended Tottenham’s games during his time in north London. John Thornton has said that LAFC have now started reaping the rewards.
Son Heung-Min’s FIRST 90 minutes in the MLS:
2️⃣ big chances created
1️⃣ assist
🔥 4/4 successful take-ons
💫 Player of the matchForm is temporary, class is forever. pic.twitter.com/W1cEBQ3fYd
— Jason (Hanshin) Lee (@Jasons_JaysHub) August 17, 2025
Thornton claimed Son had become the sportsperson with the most jersey sales in the world, surpassing the player with the most FIFPRO World XI appearances, Lionel Messi, and basketball legend LeBron James.
He said:
“Son has played just two games at LAFC, but has become the player with the most jersey sales. It’s not just the highest sales in MLS. After joining, Son Heung-min sold more jerseys than any other sport worldwide, surpassing figures of Lionel Messi and LeBron James.”
Fans React to Claim Son Surpassed Messi and LeBron in Jersey Sales
Pubity Sport echoed John Thornton’s claim on X, but fans were not convinced.
Heung‑min Son’s LAFC jersey is currently the highest‑selling athlete jersey in the world, across all sports. 😳 pic.twitter.com/IA5yUGNsBL
— Pubity Sport (@pubitysport) August 18, 2025
@raHunDres argued that while Heung-min Son is indeed a great player, he is not bigger than global icons Lionel Messi and LeBron James.
“The day since I heard this one I can’t believe this to be true…Son is a great player indeed but nah he ain’t bigger than Messi or Le Bron…he hasn’t even won the Asian Cup how come he’s that popular to sell so many jerseys…coming from the clubs president it’s obv biased”
@Messi_Fan_4LIFE highlighted the lack of credible sources.
“Not true. Not one media is able to publish any credit report or numbers. This was all started by LAFC owner. And tbh, its not possible either.”
@FanMomentos took a light-hearted jibe, writing: “Source: Trust me”
@Chukwuebuka_7 called it a construct of the US PR machine.
“Which kind lie be this
America and PR eh”
