Los Angeles FC are reportedly set to open an investigation after star player Son Heung-min appears to have been the subject of racial abuse from a fan.

Son, 34, ditched European football in the summer of 2025 after leaving Tottenham Hotspur for Major League Soccer outfit Los Angeles FC, having previously played for Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburger SV.

Since moving to the United States of America, Son has managed to score 21 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions. He also won the MLS Goal of the Year in 2025 and was named to the MLS All-Star Team this year.

Son Heung-Min Suffers Alleged Racial Abuse After LAFC vs LA Galaxy

In recent days, footage emerged on social media which appeared to show a fan shouting the term 'nihao', which is the Mandarin word for hello, towards Son as he thanked Los Angeles FC fans following a 2-2 draw with rivals Los Angeles Galaxy.

According to Goal, the term is ‘widely recognised as a racist microaggression when directed towards a Korean individual’.

Posting a picture of the fan accused of having shouted the racial slur at Son, the social media user wrote: “LAFC, this man straight up yelled nihao nihao at Sonny when he circled the field to thank the fans after the game.

“I spoke with security and since he left Section 111 by then, they said there was little they could do. Since when was racism accepted in MLS.”

The social media user also posted a video, with a caption that read: “Dropping the video. If this man is a season ticket holder, then at the minimum his tickets and access should be revoked. Pref lifetime ban. He wanted signatures on that hat and yelled nihao at Son. In LA. In 2026.”

Other fans were quick to slam the accused, one fan wrote: “What a disgusting b*****d this guy!! @MLS respond to this and take immediate action. How TF is racism normal? What a loser.”

Another fan tweeted: “Hey @LAFC what are you doing to protect your players???”

It is believed that Los Angeles FC and MLS officials are expected to review the stadium footage and launch a formal investigation into the matter.

Looking ahead, Son and Los Angeles FC will be back in MLS action next week when they take on Minnesota United at the BMO Stadium.