AFC announces 2026 award nominees in Bangkok

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced today the list of nominees for its 2026 annual awards. The ceremony will be held in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, on November 19, featuring a select group of the continent’s top stars competing for 19 awards, including the titles of Asian Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year.

Saudi Arabia’s Firas Al-Buraikan and Salem Al-Dawsari, along with Iran’s Ali Reza Piranvand, are competing for the Asian Men’s Player of the Year award. The nominees for the Asian Women’s Player of the Year include Australia’s Holly McNamara, and North Korea’s Kim Kyong Yong and Kim Hae Ri.

The 30th edition of the awards ceremony will take place at the EXSA Theatre within the King Power complex, marking Thailand’s second time hosting the event after Bangkok first hosted it in 2017.

Salem Al-Dawsari aims to make history by winning the award for the third time, having previously claimed it in 2022 and 2025.

As captain of Saudi club Al Hilal, he led his team to an undefeated season in the 2025–2026 league campaign, secured the King’s Cup for the tenth time in the club’s history, and helped the team reach the knockout stages of the AFC Champions League Elite.

Firas Al-Buraikan is competing for the award for the first time, following a standout season with Saudi club Al Ahli, where he scored the winning goal in the AFC Champions League Elite final and contributed to his team winning the title for the second consecutive year. He also helped the Saudi national team qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals. Meanwhile, Piranvand, goalkeeper for Iranian club Tractor, is seeking the award for the first time after helping his team reach the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League Elite in the 2025–2026 season.

In the women’s category, Australian Holly McNamara shone with Melbourne City, finishing as the league’s top scorer for the second consecutive season and helping her team win the title for the third time in a row. She also topped the scoring charts in the AFC Women’s Champions League with four goals and played a key role in helping her national team reach the final of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

She faces competition from North Korea’s Kim Kyong Yong, who led Nayonggang to the AFC Women’s Champions League title, scored the winning goal in the final, and was named the tournament’s best player. The list also includes Kim Hae Ri, a defender for the Republic of Korea national team, who contributed to her country’s run to the semifinals of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

In the category of Best Asian Professional Player Outside Asia, defending champion South Korea’s Lee Kang-in competes against Japan’s Ayase Ueda and Hwang In-beom. The women’s category features Japan’s Yui Hasegawa, and Australia’s Alanna Kennedy and Caitlin Foord.

The Best Coach awards see Joseph Montemurro, Kuroda Go, and Sadayoshi Shirai competing in the men’s category, while Marzieh Jafari, Park Yoon-jung, and Ma Xiaoxu are nominated in the women’s category.

For the Best Young Player award, Japanese players Ryonosuke Sato, Maki Kitahara, and Ryoichi Ichihara are in contention. The women’s category includes North Korea’s Kim Won Sim and Yu Jong Hyang, as well as Japan’s Nawa Fukushima.