The Tottenham Hotspur vs. Newcastle United pre-season friendly in Seoul ended in a 1-1 draw, but the match was overshadowed by two major events: Son Heung-min's emotional farewell and a potentially serious knee injury to James Maddison. The game, played on Sunday, August 3rd, 2025, at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, was filled with mixed emotions for Spurs fans.
Son Heung-min's departure after a decade with Tottenham was the focal point of the day. The South Korean forward, who announced his intention to leave the club this summer, was given a hero's send-off by teammates, Newcastle players, and the nearly 65,000 fans in attendance. The 33-year-old was visibly emotional as he hugged players from both teams and received a guard of honor when he was substituted in the 64th minute. "I didn't think I was going to cry at first," Son said, "But after hearing a few words from my teammates, leaving the club I've spent so much time with felt really tough". Tottenham coach Thomas Frank described the scenes as "unbelievable, beautiful". Newcastle manager Eddie Howe also acknowledged Son as "one of the game's great Premier League players". Brennan Johnson opened the scoring for Tottenham in the fourth minute, even mimicking Son's trademark "camera" goal celebration as a tribute.
However, the celebratory atmosphere was dampened when James Maddison suffered a knee injury late in the game. Maddison, who came on as a substitute, went down unchallenged and was stretchered off the pitch in obvious pain. According to reports, the injury is to the same knee that sidelined him at the end of last season, forcing him to miss the Europa League final. Spurs coach Thomas Frank expressed concern, stating, "It looks like with Madders a bad injury," and "We're pretty sure it was the same knee he injured before". He was seen leaving the stadium on crutches. The extent of the injury is still unknown, pending further assessment.
The game itself ended in a 1-1 draw. Brennan Johnson's early goal for Tottenham was canceled out by Harvey Barnes' equalizer for Newcastle before halftime. The match also featured a disallowed goal from Anthony Gordon for offside.
Maddison's injury could potentially impact Tottenham's plans for the upcoming season. With Dejan Kulusevski also set to miss the start of the season, Spurs may need to bolster their squad in the transfer window. The team has already signed winger Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United but missed out on Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
