Why South Korea’s Son Heung-min is wearing a mask for the World Cup

If you’re watching South Korea play during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, you may have noticed Son Heung-min wearing a black eye mask on his head.

What’s the deal here? The answer is that it’s not just for show so that he looks like a superhero, as cool as that would be.

It’s because he was injured while playing for Tottenham Hotspur. A collision with an opponent last month led to eye socket fractures, which were repaired with surgery. The mask — like the ones we’ve seen NBA players wear — protects that area from further injury.

There you have it! That’s the answer.