Who won AFC Player of the Year 2022? Full list of AFC Annual Awards winners

Asian football continues to grow every year, with many emerging talents and teams achieving strong results both inside and outside the continent. In this article, NowgoalPro.net names the winners of the AFC Player of the Year 2022 awards, presented by the Asian Football Confederation at the AFC Annual Awards.

The AFC Player of the Year 2022 winners: Salem Al-Dawsari and Kim Min-jae

In 2022, the AFC presented two separate awards: the AFC Asian International Player of the Year, for Asian players competing outside the AFC region, and the AFC Player of the Year, for players competing within AFC competitions. That year, Kim Min-jae won the international award, while Salem Al-Dawsari claimed the Asia-based award.

Salem Al-Dawsari

Before Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in Saudi Arabia and clubs in the league began spending heavily on global stars, Salem Al-Dawsari was already regarded as the best player in the domestic competition. He won the AFC Player of the Year award at the age of 32, becoming the 25th different winner in the history of the honor.

Al-Dawsari delivered an outstanding year in 2022. He scored twice and provided an assist in Al Hilal’s 3-2 semifinal victory over Flamengo at the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2022, helping the club become the first Saudi Arabian team to reach the final of the competition. He also impressed at the 2022 World Cup, scoring the winning goal in Saudi Arabia’s famous 2-1 victory over Argentina in the group stage. Argentina later went on to win the tournament.

Kim Min-jae

Kim Min-jae was named the AFC Asian International Player of the Year, beating Son Heung-min, who was playing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2022. That season, Kim was a key figure for Napoli, establishing himself as the team’s main center-back.

He played a major role in Napoli’s 2022/23 Serie A title, helping the club keep 16 clean sheets while contributing two goals and two assists in 33 league matches. Napoli won their first Scudetto in 33 years and also reached the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in the club’s history.

At international level, Kim featured in three of South Korea’s four matches at the 2022 World Cup. Korea Republic reached the round of 16 after a dramatic 2-1 comeback win against Portugal, before being eliminated by Brazil.

AFC Player of the Year 2022 winner list 

1. Salem Al-Dawsari - AFC Player of the Year (Men)

2. Samantha Kerr - AFC Player of the Year (Women)

3. Hajime Moriyasu - AFC Coach of the Year (Men)

4. Shui Qingxia - AFC Coach of the Year (Women)

5. Kuryu Matsuki - AFC Youth Player of the Year (Men)

6. Maika Hamano - AFC Youth Player of the Year (Women)

7. Kim Min-jae - AFC International Player of the Year

8. Moslem Oladghobad - AFC Futsal Player of the Year

Top 7 most winners of the AFC Player of the Year (men)

Despite not winning the award in 2022, Son Heung-min remains the most successful player in the international category. Since the award was introduced, he has won it four times over a 10-year period. His consistent performances at Tottenham Hotspur have made him one of the most successful Asian players to compete outside Asia. Aside from Son, no other player has won this award more than once.

For the Asia-based award, Hidetoshi Nakata remains the most notable multiple-time winner, having claimed the title twice in 1997 and 1998. Born in 1977, Nakata began his career at Nirasaki High School before moving to Shonan Bellmare. He later spent most of his professional career in Italy, playing for clubs such as AS Roma, Bologna, Parma and Fiorentina, before retiring in 2006.

He is joined on the list by Server Djeparov and Akram Afif. Djeparov, from Uzbekistan, mainly played as an attacking midfielder for clubs in Uzbekistan, South Korea and Iran. He recorded 65 goals and 37 assists in 338 appearances and won the award twice, in 2008 and 2011.

Akram Afif, who currently plays for Al Sadd, also won the award twice, in 2019 and 2024. He is the captain of the Qatar national team and has scored 40 goals in 126 appearances, despite being only 29 years old. Afif previously played for clubs such as Sporting Gijón, Villarreal and KAS Eupen before returning to Qatar in 2020.

Most AFC Asian International Player of the Year win

1. Son Heung-min (South Korea) - 4 wins (2015, 2017, 2019, 2023)

2. Kim Min-jae (South Korea) - 1 win (2022)

3. Lee Kang-in (South Korea) - 1 win (2025)

4. Shinji Kagawa (Japan) - 1 win (2012)

5. Yuto Nagatomo (Japan) - 1 win (2013)

6. Mile Jedinak (Australia) - 1 win (2014)

7. Shinji Okazaki (Japan) - 1 win (2016)

Most AFC Player of the Year win

1. Hidetoshi Nakata (Japan) - 2 wins (1997, 1998)

2. Server Djeparov (Uzbekistan) - 2 wins (2008, 2011)

3. Akram Afif (Qatar) - 2 wins (2019, 2024)

4. Salem Al-Dawsari (Saudi Arabia) - 1 win (1994)

5. Masami Ihara (Japan) - 1 win (1995)

6. Khodadad Azizi (Iran) - 1 win (1996)

7. Nawaf Al-Temyat (Saudi Arabia) - 1 win (2000)

Nowgoal Pro has listed the winners of the AFC Player of the Year 2022, along with players who have won the most awards in both the Asian and International categories. For more updates on Asian football, read more here.