Who were the AFF Championship 2024 top scorers? Discover the record for most goals in a single tournament

With a strong squad and consistent performances, Vietnam went through the 2024 AFF Championship unbeaten and lifted the trophy in convincing fashion. The team also dominated the individual awards, winning Best Goalkeeper, Top Scorer, and Best Player. Below is an overview of the AFF Championship 2024 top scorers by nowgoalpro.net.

AFF Championship 2024 top scorers

Leading the list was Nguyen Xuan Son (Rafaelson), the striker of the Vietnamese national team, with seven goals. Throughout the tournament, Xuan Son was Vietnam’s most important attacking player and the main source of goals. With his strong physique, varied finishing ability, effective hold-up play, and physical strength, he was so influential. His standout moment came in the first leg of the final, where he scored twice against Thailand to give Vietnam a clear advantage before the return match.

Xuan Son’s impressive form also attracted close attention from opponents. In the knockout stages, he was tightly marked by both Singapore and Thailand and eventually suffered an injury in the second leg of the final, forcing him to leave the pitch early. Despite this setback, his overall impact was decisive, and he deservedly won both the Top Scorer and Best Player awards of the tournament.

Behind Xuan Son were four players who each scored four goals. The first was Shawal Anuar of Singapore, well known for his “super sub” reputation. He is valued for his speed and sharp positioning and was one of the standout players for Singapore during a period of squad renewal. Although Singapore were eliminated in the semi-finals, Anuar still made a strong impression with his performances.

Next are two Thai players, Suphanat Mueanta and Patrik Gustavsson. Suphanat is considered one of the brightest talents in Thai football, combining pace, technical ability, and maturity beyond his years. He is particularly dangerous in one-on-one situations on the wing and scored the decisive goal in the second leg of the semi-final against the Philippines, sending Thailand through to the final.

Gustavsson, by contrast, is a powerful centre-forward with a clear physical advantage in Southeast Asian football. He offers strong hold-up play and aerial threat and is often used when Thailand need a more direct attacking approach. He scored in three of Thailand’s four group-stage matches, including the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Malaysia.

The final player on this list is Nguyen Tien Linh of Vietnam, who also scored four goals. Since the arrival of Xuan Son, Tien Linh has no longer been the main focal point of the attack and has often dropped deeper to support his teammates. Even so, he continued to show his strengths with intelligent movement, finishing ability, and good reading of the game. His goals at AFF 2024 brought him closer to the scoring record of Le Huynh Duc, who scored 27 goals in 52 matches. Le Cong Vinh remains Vietnam’s all-time top scorer, with 51 goals in 83 appearances.

AFF Championship 2024 top scorers

1. Nguyen Xuan Son (Vietnam): 7 goals

2. Shawal Anuar (Singapore): 4 goals

3. Patrik Gustavsson (Thailand): 4 goals

4. Suphanat Mueanta (Thailand): 4 goals

5. Nguyen Tien Linh (Vietnam): 4 goals

Player with the most goals in a single tournament

The record for the most goals scored by a single player in an AFF tournament still belongs to Noh Alam Shah, a legend of Singaporean football. At the 2007 AFF tournament, he scored 10 goals, including seven in a single match against Laos. This remains an unmatched record.

Second on the list are Adisak Kraisorn in 2018 and Bambang Pamungkas in 2002, both of whom scored eight goals. Adisak made an immediate impact in the opening match against Timor-Leste, scoring six goals in a 7-0 win. However, his tournament ended in disappointment when he missed a late penalty against Malaysia in the semi-finals, leading to Thailand’s elimination.

Bambang Pamungkas, meanwhile, delivered a more consistent scoring run at the 2002 Tiger Cup, the former name of the AFF Championship. He scored key goals throughout the tournament, including the winner in a 1-0 victory over Malaysia at the Senayan Stadium to send Indonesia into the final. In the final, despite converting his penalty in the shootout, Indonesia lost 2-4, allowing Thailand to claim the title at home.

Notably, Teerasil Dangda, the all-time leading scorer in AFF Championship history, does not appear among the players with the most goals in a single tournament. However, his consistency is unmatched, as he has won the Top Scorer award five times, a record that is likely to remain untouched for many years.

In this article, NowGoal Pro have reviewed the AFF Championship 2024 top scorers, as well as the players who scored the most goals in a single AFF tournament. For more news and insights into Southeast Asian football, follow us on this page.