AFC Asian International Player of the Year (Women) 2025: Maika Hamano

Tue, 07 Oct, 2025

AFC Asian International Player of the Year (Women) 2025: Maika Hamano

Riyadh: Maika Hamano’s meteoric ascendency to superstardom was further cemented on Thursday after the Osaka native was named the AFC Asian International Player of the Year (Women) at the AFC Awards Riyadh 2025 presented by NEOM.

The Chelsea FC forward surpassed compatriot Yui Hasegawa and Australia’s Stephanie Catley to become only the second player in history to clinch the esteemed accolade after it was introduced last year.

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AFC Player of the Year 2025: Salem Al Dawsari

Tue, 07 Oct, 2025

AFC Player of the Year 2025: Salem Al Dawsari

Riyadh: Asian icon Salem Al Dawsari was crowned the latest AFC Player of the Year on Thursday night in a milestone moment at the AFC Awards Riyadh 2025 presented be NEOM.

The Al Hilal SFC superstar became the first Saudi Arabian to win the prestigious accolade twice and the fourth to do so after Japan’s Hidetoshi Nakata (1997, 1998), Uzbekistan’s Server Djeparov (2008, 2011) and Qatar’s Akram Afif (2019, 2023).

AFC Women’s Player of the Year 2025: Hana Takahashi

Tue, 07 Oct, 2025

AFC Women’s Player of the Year 2025: Hana Takahashi

Riyadh: A sparkling 2024/25 season saw Hana Takahashi land the coveted AFC Women’s Player of the Year accolade on Thursday night at the AFC Awards Riyadh 2025 presented by NEOM.

The 25-year-old became the 19th winner of the award on her first nomination and the sixth Japanese recipient—the most of any Member Association—after Homare Sawa (2004, 2008), Natsuko Hara (2005), Aya Miyama (2011, 2012, 2015), Saki Kumagai (2019) and Kiko Seike (2023).

AFC Youth Player of the Year (Women) 2025: Choe Il Son

Tue, 07 Oct, 2025

AFC Youth Player of the Year (Women) 2025: Choe Il Son

Riyadh: Rising sensation Choe Il Son was crowned the AFC Youth Player of the Year (Women) on Thursday at the AFC Awards Riyadh 2025 presented by NEOM following a brilliant 2024/25 season.

It was the latest accolade for the DPR Korea forward, who basked in the glory of becoming a double world champion in 2024 after helping her side to lift both the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024 and FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Dominican Republic 2024 trophies.

AFC Youth Player of the Year (Men) 2025: Alex Badolato

Tue, 07 Oct, 2025

AFC Youth Player of the Year (Men) 2025: Alex Badolato

Riyadh: A new name was etched on the AFC Youth Player of the Year (Men) trophy on Thursday evening as Alex Badolato became its latest recipient at the AFC Awards Riyadh 2025 presented by NEOM.

The first-ever Australian nominee in the award’s history and now the first to win it, Badolato can add the prize to a trophy cabinet that already contains the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ China 2025 winners’ medal and Most Valuable Player gong.

AFC Asian International Player of the Year (Men) 2025: Lee Kang-in

Fri, 17 Oct, 2025

AFC Asian International Player of the Year (Men) 2025: Lee Kang-in

Riyadh: Korea Republic icon Lee Kang-in was duly rewarded for his stunning form in the 2024/25 season after being named the AFC Asian International Player of the Year (Men) at the AFC Awards Riyadh 2025 presented by NEOM on Thursday.

Held at the dazzling King Fahad Cultural Center, the 24-year-old fended off the challenge of Islamic Republic of Iran’s Mehdi Taremi and Japan’s Takefusa Kubo to land the accolade.