AFC To Name Asian Player of the Year in November
The Asian Football Confederation will announce its top player award winner during a ceremony held in Bangkok on November 19, 2026.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Soccer
Live Poll
Should athletic award criteria focus more on individual stats or total team championship success?
The Asian Football Confederation has shortlisted Salem Al-Dawsari, Firas Al-Buraikan, and Alireza Beiranvand for the 2026 Asian Player of the Year award. The winner of the prestigious honor will be revealed at an official ceremony in Bangkok on November 19, 2026.
Why it matters
This award recognizes the top individual performance in Asian football over the past year. The nomination of these three players highlights the competitive nature of regional club and international play throughout the 2025-2026 campaign.
Nominee Alireza Beiranvand is 34 years old, while Firas Al-Buraikan recorded three goals to lead scoring in the Arabian Gulf Cup. Salem Al-Dawsari arrives as a previous dual-winner of the award, having secured the title in both 2022 and 2025.
The players
Salem Al-Dawsari
He is a professional footballer who has previously claimed the Asian Player of the Year award twice.
Firas Al-Buraikan
He is a goal-scoring forward who played a decisive role in the AFC Champions League Elite final.
Alireza Beiranvand
He is a 34-year-old goalkeeper who previously earned an award nomination in 2019.
Asian Football Confederation
This is the governing body for association football in Asia that manages regional tournaments and annual awards.
Al-Hilal
This is a prominent Saudi professional football club that recently achieved a historic undefeated league season.
The details
The nominees were selected based on an annual evaluation process assessing their contributions to their respective clubs and national teams. Salem Al-Dawsari recently anchored an Al-Hilal squad that finished the 2025-2026 Saudi League season undefeated and captured its tenth King's Cup title, while Firas Al-Buraikan secured a pivotal goal in the AFC Champions League Elite final.
Timeline
Alireza Beiranvand received his first nomination in 2019.
Salem Al-Dawsari won the award in 2022.
Salem Al-Dawsari won the award in 2025.
The 2025-2026 professional football season concluded this year.
The awards ceremony in Bangkok is scheduled for November 19, 2026.
Season Trajectory
This award ceremony serves as the definitive conclusion to the regional football calendar, recognizing players who defined the most recent competitive cycle. It influences the legacy of the current era of Asian football and shapes the expectations for individual achievements in the coming year.
The announcement will settle the debate regarding which player held the greatest influence over both the Saudi League campaign and the AFC Champions League Elite bracket. This result functions as a primary metric for evaluating player form and potential transfer valuations during the upcoming off-season window.
The takeaway
Individual accolades like the Asian Player of the Year underscore the importance of consistency across both domestic and continental club competitions. Fans should monitor the announcement on November 19 to see how these performances are weighed by the selection committee.
Further reading
For more news on the sport, visit the Soccer section.
Live Poll
Should athletic award criteria focus more on individual stats or total team championship success?
