Ranking the 10 best football player in Asia 2023: Son Heung-min beats Ronaldo to 7th straight title

The Best Footballer in Asia award is organized and presented by Titan Sports magazine (China). The award recognizes the player with the best performance in Asian football during the calendar year. It is open to all players competing in Asian football, whether for national teams or clubs affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Inspired by the Ballon d'Or, the award is decided through voting by football journalists, mainly from countries and regions represented by AFC member associations. In this article, nowgoalpro.net reviews the best football player in Asia 2023, along with the Top 10 ranking.

Who is the best football player in Asia in 2023?

Son Heung-min won the award with 231 votes from 63 journalists. He received 17 first-place votes, 24 second-place votes, 7 third-place votes, 5 fourth-place votes, and 2 fifth-place votes. This marked the seventh consecutive time the South Korean star won the award, starting in 2017.

In the 2022/23 season, Son Heung-min achieved several notable milestones. He became the first Asian player to score 100 goals in the Premier League and maintained impressive consistency, scoring a total of 27 goals for club and country in the 2023 calendar year. Following the departures of Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane, Son was named captain of Tottenham, taking on the responsibility of leading the team.

Top 10 best football player in Asia in 2023

Second on the list is Son Heung-min’s South Korea teammate, center-back Kim Min-jae. The Bayern Munich defender finished second in 2023 after an outstanding season with Napoli in 2022/23. Despite it being his first season in Serie A, Kim delivered excellent performances, combining physical strength, tactical awareness, and good passing ability, making him a model of the modern center-back.

In terms of team achievements, Kim Min-jae had an exceptional year. He played a key role in helping Napoli win the Serie A title, ending the club’s 33-year wait since the Diego Maradona era. He was also the only Asian player included in the 30-man shortlist for the 2023 Ballon d'Or, finishing 22nd, the highest-ever ranking for an Asian defender. These achievements also earned him the AFC International Player of the Year award, ahead of Son Heung-min.

Third on the list is Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr at the beginning of 2023. The Portuguese striker finished third with 172 points, trailing Kim Min-jae by 20 points and Son Heung-min by nearly 60. Even so, Ronaldo had a pretty impressive year, scoring 54 goals in the 2023 calendar year to finish as the world’s top scorer, ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. He also won the Arab Club Champions Cup, scoring twice in the final. However, he missed the Saudi Pro League trophy as his team only got 2nd place, with 5 points behind Al-Ittihad. 

Kaoru Mitoma ranked fourth, making him the highest-ranked Japanese player in 2023. He had an impressive year, breaking the records of Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki to become the Japanese player with the most goals in a single Premier League season. Mitoma was also widely regarded as one of the league’s most effective dribblers.

Fifth on the list is Mehdi Taremi, who was playing for Porto at the time. In the 2022/23 season, Taremi won the Primeira Liga top scorer award with 22 goals. He was a key figure in Porto’s victories in the Portuguese Cup and the Portuguese Super Cup. In the Champions League, he holds the record for the most goals scored by an Asian player, with nine goals, and remains a vital player for the Iranian national team.

Top 10 Best Footballer in Asia 2023 list:

1. Son Heung-min - South Korea - Tottenham Hotspur (England) - 231

2. Kim Min-jae - South Korea - Napoli (Italy), Bayern Munich (Germany) - 197

3. Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal - Al Nassr (Saudi Arabia) - 172

4. Kaoru Mitoma - Japan - Brighton & Hove Albion (England) - 101

5. Mehdi Taremi - Iran - Porto (Portugal) - 55

6. Takefusa Kubo - Japan - Real Sociedad (Spain) - 48

7. Salem Al-Dawsari - Saudi Arabia - Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) - 42

8. Wataru Endo - Japan - VfB Stuttgart (Germany), Liverpool (England) - 40

9. Hwang Hee-chan - South Korea - Wolverhampton Wanderers (England) - 33

10. Lee Kang-in - South Korea – Mallorca (Spain), Paris Saint-Germain (France) - 14

In this article, NowGoal Pro reviewed the Top 10 best football players in Asia in 2023 and highlighted the winner of the award. Through this overview, readers can better understand the development of Asian football and the standout performers of the year. To read more football-related news, follow our official website.