The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Thursday the official list of nominees for the 2025 Best Awards, set to be presented during a ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 16.
According to the AFC’s official website, the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh will host the 29th edition of the awards, which honor achievements across 20 categories, recognizing outstanding players, coaches, national associations, and referees in Asian football.
Key Awards and Nominees:
- Best Male Player in Asia
- Akram Afif (Al Sadd – Qatar)
- Salem Al-Dawsari (Al Hilal – Saudi Arabia)
- Arif Aiman Hanapi (Johor Darul Ta’zim – Malaysia)
- Best Female Player in Asia
- Holly McNamara (Melbourne City – Australia)
- Wang Shuang (Wuhan Jiangda – China)
- Hana Takahashi (Urawa Red Diamonds – Japan)
- Best Asian Player Abroad
- Mehdi Taremi (Inter Milan/Olympiacos – Iran)
- Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad – Japan)
- Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain – South Korea)
- Best Asian Female Player Abroad
- Stephanie Catley (Arsenal – Australia)
- Maika Hamano (Chelsea – Japan)
- Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City – Japan)
- Best Coach in Asia
- Trevor Morgan (Australia U-20)
- Ri Song-ho (North Korea U-20 Women)
- Song Sung-joon (North Korea U-17 Girls)
- Best Female Coach in Asia
- Lu Kui-hua (Taichung Blue Whale – Taiwan)
- Mardiya Jafari (Bam Khatoon – Iran)
- Nongrutai Srasongvian (Aigan Scholars College – Thailand)
- Best Young Male Player in Asia
- Alexander Badolato (Melbourne Victory – Australia)
- Hamed Youssef (Al-Ittihad – Saudi Arabia)
- Sadriddin Hasanov (Bunyodkor – Uzbekistan)
- Best Young Female Player in Asia
- Choi Il-sun (25 April Club – North Korea)
- Jon Il-chung (Amnokgang – North Korea)
- Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage – Japan)
National Association Awards:
- Platinum Category: Iran – Japan – Saudi Arabia
- Diamond Category: China – Thailand – Vietnam
- Gold Category: Hong Kong
- Ruby Category: Bangladesh – Guam – Laos
For regional associations, the nominees for Best Regional Football Association are AFC ASEAN, East Asia Football Federation, and South Asian Football Federation.
AFC President’s Recognition for Promising Associations:
- Gold Category: China – Saudi Arabia – UAE
- Silver Category: Guam – India – Malaysia
- Bronze Category: Bangladesh – Northern Mariana Islands – Vietnam
Special Referee Awards:
- Ali Reza Faghani (Australia)
- Anton Shitin (Australia)
- Ashley Beckham (Australia)
The Riyadh ceremony is expected to host a wide array of prominent figures in Asian and global football, celebrating the continent’s top talents and achievements throughout 2025.
