"Ni hao, Ni hao" U.S. Soccer Fan Shouts at Son Heung-min, Sparking Racism Controversy

Repeatedly shouted at Son Heung-min as he greeted fans

“Revoke his season tickets”; LAFC has issued no official statement

A video showing a spectator repeatedly shouting “Ni hao,” a Chinese greeting, at Son Heung-min of Major League Soccer (MLS) club LAFC has gone viral, sparking a racism controversy.

The man (right) who repeatedly shouted “Nihao” at Son Heung-min as he greeted fans. Screenshot from X @peachyson7

According to the New York Post on October 26 (local time), a day earlier, after a match between LAFC and the LA Galaxy at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, a fan of LAFC was filmed shouting “Ni hao” several times at Son.

After the match, Son was walking around the stadium greeting fans. A video posted online shows a man wearing an LAFC jersey repeatedly shouting “Ni hao” as Son walks by. Son appears to look toward the fan, seemingly having heard him.

“Ni hao” is a common Chinese greeting meaning “hello.” However, because it was repeatedly shouted at Son, who is Korean, critics in the United States said the remarks were racist, lumping Asians together.

A social media user who posted the video wrote, “While Son Heung-min was walking around the stadium after the match to greet fans, this man openly shouted ‘Ni hao, Ni hao’ at him,” adding, “Since when has racism been tolerated in MLS?”

The user reportedly alerted security personnel at the scene, but no immediate action could be taken because the fan in question had already left the stands.

Online, some also claimed that the man was a season-ticket holder who regularly attended matches. Some fans are calling on LAFC to take strong action, such as canceling his season tickets or banning him from the stadium.

Amid the controversy, there have been no reports that LAFC has issued an official statement regarding the racist remarks.

Meanwhile, LAFC and the LA Galaxy drew 2-2 that day. LAFC conceded two goals in the first half but leveled the score in the second with back-to-back goals from Denis Bouanga and Leo Baltha. The draw secured LAFC’s place in the 2026 MLS Cup playoffs.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.