Top 10 best football players in Asia 2024: Akram Afif dethrones Son Heung-min to claim top spot

The focus of Asian football in 2024 was the 2023 Asian Cup, which takes place at the beginning of the year. Besides that, regional and international tournaments haven't been particularly outstanding. Therefore, the Asian Cup is the best opportunity to evaluate  achievements and award prizes. nowgoalpro.net lists the Top 10 best football players in Asia 2024.

Top 10 best football players in Asia 2024

The criteria for creating this list is the Best Footballers in Asia 2024 award, presented by the Chinese magazine Titan Sports. Inspired by the Ballon d'Or award given by France Football, this award is voted on by sports journalists from Asian countries to recognize the best Asian players in the calendar year. The award is not limited to Asian players but includes players who play for clubs and national teams affiliated with the AFC.

10. Takefusa Kubo

The Japanese player continued his association with Real Sociedad in the 2024 season and remained extremely important. In the 2023/24 season, he created the most big chances and had one of the highest successful dribbles in La Liga. In addition, he helped the team reach the knockout stage of the Champions League. At the national team level, he also became a key player in the team's style of play, helping Japan dominate the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia and secure a direct ticket to the World Cup later.

9. Lee Kang-in

The South Korean striker has begun taking his first steps on his journey to play at the highest level in Europe. Joining Paris Saint-Germain and playing his first season, he was a key factor in helping PSG win the domestic treble (Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Trophée des Champions). In addition, he also scored the opening goal in the French Super Cup, leading the team to victory. Internationally, he couldn't win the Asian Cup with the South Korean national team but still appeared in the team of the tournament.

8. Wataru Endo

Liverpool's midfielder, while not an attacking midfielder, is highly rated for 2024. In the 2023 season, Endo joined Liverpool amidst doubts that he could adapt to English football. However, he quickly proved his worth in the defensive midfield position. Endo's highlight came in the 2024 Carabao Cup final, where he completely dominated Chelsea's midfield to help Liverpool lift their 10th Carabao Cup trophy. While he didn't achieve any further international success, he remains a key figure in helping the national team maintain its number one ranking in Asia according to FIFA.

7. Mehdi Taremi

After a successful 2023 season with Porto, Taremi moved to Inter Milan despite being 32 years old at the time. However, that season he mainly played a rotational role for the striker duo of Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez, occasionally being deployed as an attacking midfielder. Nevertheless, he still contributed to Inter's Serie A championship that season. Meanwhile, on the continental stage, he remained the main striker for the Iranian national team, helping them reach the semi-finals after defeating Japan. However, a red card in that match forced Taremi to sit out and miss the semi-final, which Iran unfortunately lost to Qatar.

6. Musa Al-Taamari

A key factor in Jordan's run to the final, Al-Taamari scored 3 goals, including a solo goal, directly eliminating South Korea and advancing to the final. With 3 goals and explosive performances, he was considered one of the best players in the tournament. He later became the driving force behind Jordan's qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Regarding club results, he is the first and only Jordanian player currently excelling in the top 5 European leagues.

5. Aleksandar Mitrovic

Joining the highly successful Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, Mitrovic quickly became one of the best strikers in the Saudi Pro League. In the 2023/24 season, Mitrovic was key to Al Hilal's absolute dominance of Saudi Arabian football with a treble (Saudi Pro League, Copa del Rey, and Super Cup). He also scored 40 goals in 43 matches and played a major role in Al Hilal setting a record for the most goals scored in a single season, with 34 consecutive matches.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo

In the 2023/24 season, the Portuguese player set a historic record with 35 goals, becoming the top scorer in a single season in Saudi Arabia. He also became the first player in world football history to win the top scorer title in four different national leagues (England, Spain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia). However, Ronaldo's Al Nassr team failed to win any titles that season, losing to Al Hilal in the domestic league and being eliminated early from the AFC Champions League. This prevented Ronaldo's achievements from ranking higher on the list.

3. Soufiane Rahimi

This player had an extremely successful season, being a key factor in Al Ain (UAE) winning their second Asian Cup title in history. In terms of goalscoring, he scored 13 goals, equaling the record for most goals scored in a single ACL season. Individually, he is one of the few players to have won both the MVP and top scorer awards. He was named the IFFHS's Best International Goalscorer of 2024 (with a total of 20 goals for club and national team in international competitions), surpassing both Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.

2. Son Heung-min

The South Korean national team and Tottenham captain lost the Best Footballer in Asia award for the first time in seven years, as his performance wasn't as impressive as the player ranked above him. Despite this, he still scored 17 Premier League goals and was a key player for the South Korean national team; however, the lack of championships prevented him from maintaining his dominant position in the tournament.

1. Akram Afif

Ultimately, the winner of this event was Akram Afif, who plays for Al Sadd and the Qatar national team. Afif earned 181 points, surpassing Son Heung-min (168 points) in the closest race since 2016. He is also the first player from West Asia (Qatar) to win this award since the Titan Sports award was established in 2013. That year, his best performance came in the final with a hat-trick of penalties. In the domestic league, he also scored 26 goals and provided 11 assists, helping his club win a domestic double (Qatar Stars League and Amir Cup). With that achievement, he deserved this award.

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