The final list of candidates was announced; / Four Iranians on the red carpet of Asian football

The Asian Football Confederation announced the list of nominees for the 2026 awards.

According to Sports Se, the Asian Football Confederation announced today the list of nominees for the 2026 Asian Awards. The 30th ceremony of these awards will be held on Thursday, November 28 in Thailand. In this ceremony, the best players in Asian football are honored in a total of 19 categories, the most important of which are the Asian Player of the Year awards in the men's and women's categories.

Alireza Biranvand, Faras Al-Barikan and Salem Al-Dosari are the three candidates for the title of the best player of the year in Asia. In the women's section, Holly McNamara, Kim Kyung-young and Kim Hye-ri will compete for the award of the best female player of the year in Asia.

In the category of the best Asian player working outside the Asian continent in the men's division, Lee Kang-in is looking to retain his title. Ayase Ueda and Hwang Inbeom are his competitors to win this award. Alanna Kennedy, Caitlin Ford and Yui Hasegawa have been nominated in the women's category. Hasegawa has been nominated for the third time in a row.

In the Asian Men's Football Coach of the Year section, Joseph Montemorrow, Go Kuroda and Sadayoshi Shirai have been nominated for the award for the first time. In the women's section, Ma Xiaoshu, Marzieh Jafari and Park Yunjung are competing for this title. Jafari and Park are each looking to win their second award in this category.

In the Asian Men's Football Young Player of the Year category, Ryunosuke Sato has been nominated for the award alongside his compatriots Maki Kitahara and Ryun Ichihara. In the women's section, Kim Won Sim and Yoo Jung Hyang from North Korea are next to Noa Fukushima from Japan.

The complete list of nominees for the 2026 AFC Awards

Alireza Biranvand (Iran tractor and Iran national team)

Firas Al-Barikan (Al-Ahly of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi national team)

Salem Al-Dosri (Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi national team)

Holly McNamara (Australian Melbourne City/England Everton and Australian national team)

Kim Kyung-young (Nagohyang North Korea and North Korea national team)

Kim Hae-ri (Wuhan Jiangda China/Suwon FC Women's South Korea and South Korea National Team)

* The best Asian player working outside of Asia - Men

Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord Holland/Lille France and Japan national team)

Hwang Inbeom (Feyenoord Netherlands/Porto Portugal and South Korea national team)

Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Spain and South Korea national team)

* The best Asian player working outside of Asia - women

Alanna Kennedy (London City Lions, England and Australian national team)

Caitlin Ford (Arsenal England women's team and Australian national team)

Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City England women's team and Japan national team)

Hossein Tayibi (home of Iran and the Iranian national team)

Saeed Ahmad Abbasi (Gitipassant of Iran and the Iranian national team)

Mohammad Osman Moussa (Jimby Cartagena, Spain and Thailand national team)

* The best coach of the year in Asia - men

Joseph Montemorrow (Australia and Australia women's national team)

Go Kuroda (FC Machida Zeluya Japan and Japan)

Sadayoshi Shirai (Japan and Japan women's under-17 national team)

* The best coach of the year in Asia - women

Ma Xiaoshu (Chinese women's under-17 national team)

Marzieh Jafari (Women's team Khatun Bam Iran and Iran)

Park Yunjung (South Korea and South Korea women's national team under 20)

* The best young player of the year in Asia - men

Maki Kitahara (FC Tokyo Japan and Japan)

Rion Ichihara (Alkmaar Netherlands and Japan)

Ryunosuke Sato (FC Tokyo Japan/Valencia Spain and Japan)

* The best young player of the year in Asia - women

Kim Won Sim (North Korea Pyongyang International Football School/North Korea and North Korea 4.25 Club)

Yoo Jung Hyang (North Korea and North Korea 4.25 Club)

Noah Fukushima (Japan Football Academy in Fukushima and Japan)