Son Heung-min wins 10th Best Footballer in Asia award

South Korean captain Son Heung-min has been named the Best Footballer in Asia 2025, earning the continental honour for a record 10th time as he continues to define a generation of Asian football excellence.

The award was established in 2013 and is open to players from Asia and those who ply their trade on the continent. A panel of 64 Asian football experts voted in the latest edition, which considered performances from August 16 last year to July 16 this year.

Son reclaims title after brief hiatus

The 33-year-old striker, who joined Los Angeles FC this year after a stellar spell with Tottenham Hotspur, topped voting by a 64-member panel of journalists and football experts across Asia and beyond.

Son collected 146 points, or 14.26 percent of all votes, to reclaim the title he briefly lost in 2024 after seven consecutive wins. It marks his 10th triumph in 13 editions of the award (2014, 2015, 2017–2023, 2025).

The victory crowned what was likely Son’s final season in European football, highlighted by his performances for Tottenham and the Korea Republic national team before making the switch to Major League Soccer.

Young stars and veterans share the spotlight

Fellow South Korean Lee Kang-in, 24, finished second with 105 points (10.25%), marking the first top-five finish for a player born in the 2000s. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder has steadily climbed the rankings after placing 10th and 9th in the 2023 and 2024 editions.

Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, who continues to play for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, came third with 91 points (8.89%), maintaining a top-four finish for the third consecutive year.

Rounding out the top seven were Riyad Mahrez (75 points), Karim Benzema (73), Salem Al Dawsari (72), and Kaoru Mitoma (72), with final placements decided by higher-ranking votes in case of ties.

Regional dominance and league influence

Among the top 10 finishers, Korea Republic (Son and Lee) and Uzbekistan (Abdukodir Khusanov and Abbosbek Fayzullaev) each had two representatives, while the Saudi Pro League emerged as the most represented domestic competition, contributing four players in the top six.

In total, 35 players received votes from across the continent, including 10 not on the initial 25-player shortlist — reflecting the growing depth and diversity of Asian football talent.

By association, Japan (8) led all AFC nations in player representation, followed by Korea Republic (4), Iran (3), Uzbekistan (2), and several others with one each, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Palestine, Australia, and Indonesia.

The Saudi Pro League produced the most players in the final rankings, with 11 featuring among the vote-getters.

Legacy continues

Son’s decade-long dominance in the award mirrors his global influence as one of Asia’s most celebrated footballers.

Having now transitioned to MLS, Son remains a central figure for South Korea, where he continues to inspire younger generations — including Lee Kang-in — who are rising to carry Asian football’s torch forward.