Is it Batman? Is it Superman? No, it was Son Heung-min flying for the South Korean side before they were eliminated. Or could it be Josko Gvardiol, the player from Croatia playing for third place?
In this Qatar 2022 World Cup, there are several soccer players who have worn masks over their faces.
And no, it’s not part of an elaborate celebratory routine. Korean soccer player Son used the mask, which covers his eyes and nose, as a protective measure.
The 30-year-old suffered a fractured eye socket during Tottenham’s Champions League win against Marseille on November 1. Thus, he faced a race against time to be fit to participate in Qatar.
Such is the level of medical science, that Son not only recovered on time, with the help of the mask, but has played every minute of the games that allowed South Korea to qualify for the knockout phase of the tournament, after a dramatic 2-1 win over Portugal.
After participating in Korea’s World Cup debut match against Uruguay, the first in which he wore the mask, Son said he felt “comfortable.”
“I’m happy to be able to play with the mask. I can play,” Son told reporters, according to Reuters.
But Son is not the only footballer who played the World Cup with a protective mask.
Croatian Jasko Gvardiol also wears one, due to a nose and eye problem from a head-to-head clash with his club, RB Leipzig, in Germany.
Tunisian Ellyes Skhiri broke his cheekbone in October with FC Köln in Germany, so he too wore a mask that covered his nose and the sides of his face.
And Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand wore a mask during training, though he chose not to wear it in matches, after his head injury against England in Iran’s first group game. He did not feature in his team’s second match in Group B, against Wales, but played without a mask against the United States in the team’s last group game.
Skins are common in the game
These types of masks have been common in recent years to protect players recovering from facial injuries.
Earlier this season, German defender Antonio Rüdiger wore a mask similar to Son’s after being kneed in the face while playing for Real Madrid against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.
In recent years, we’ve seen some Son luminaries like Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski, Victor Osimhen and Sergio Ramos wear masks on the pitch.