SHINee's Taemin Meets Son Heung-min After a Falcon Launch in a TAEMIN 93 Jersey

SHINee's Taemin walked onto the pitch at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles in an official LAFC jersey printed with "TAEMIN" and "93" (his birth year), released the club's falcon, and afterward shook hands with captain Son Heung-min. He attended the MLS home game on the 14th local time as a special invited guest and took the role of LAFC's Honorary Falconer.

The ritual is unique to LAFC: just before kickoff, a real falcon, the club's mascot, is flown over the field to start the game. Korean coverage describes Taemin carrying out the ceremony calmly, and the crowd's energy rose with it. He wore loose jeans with the jersey, which kept the look relaxed.

A greeting from the club, and a meeting with Son

LAFC marked the moment on its official social channels, posting photos from the event and introducing Taemin as its Honorary Falconer of the day. The post carried a Korean-language welcome message that read "Always shining, Taemin."

After the ceremony, Taemin met Son, who captains both LAFC and South Korea's national team. The two shook hands and talked, and photos of the meeting drew attention from fans in the stadium and around the world. Son then started the match, and the report says his active movement and precise passing drove the team's attack and earned a standing ovation from local fans.

Taemin's agency, Galaxy Corporation, called the event "an iconic event in American sports culture" and said it was meaningful to offer "a special moment connecting music and sports." It added that it hopes the appearance gave local fans another way to connect with him during his world tour.

Where the tour stands

The appearance comes weeks after Taemin opened the 2026–27 Taemin World Tour, LiMiNaL with three Seoul shows at Jamsil Indoor Stadium on September 18–20. For a performer known for choreography-heavy stages, a falcon release is a very different kind of showcase, but it fits a tour that is now heading to overseas audiences.