The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially announced the final shortlist for its 2026 Annual Awards, headlined by the AFC Player of the Year category, which features dual Saudi representation via Salem Al-Dawsari and Firas Al-Buraikan alongside Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.
The 30th edition of the awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, November 19, at the Aksra King Power Theatre in Bangkok, starting at 8:00 PM local time, with accolades to be presented across 19 distinct categories.
Beiranvand earned his second career nomination following a strong showing for Iran at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the team exited in the group stage on goal difference. The 34-year-old goalkeeper also guided Tractor to the Round of 16 in the AFC Champions League Elite.
Meanwhile, Al-Buraikan makes his debut appearance among the nominees after scoring Al-Ahli’s winning goal in the AFC Champions League Elite final, securing his club’s second consecutive continental title. He also netted twice in the Asian World Cup playoff and started all three of Saudi Arabia’s matches at the tournament.
Salem Al-Dawsari is chasing a third Player of the Year crown after previous triumphs in 2022 and 2025. He led Al-Hilal to an invincible unbeaten league season and a 10th King Cup title, while also making his ninth World Cup appearance to become the second most-capped Saudi player in World Cup history.
The AFC Women’s Player of the Year shortlist comprises Holly McNamara, Kim Kyung-yung, and Kim Hye-ri. For the AFC International Player of the Year (Men’s), Ayase Ueda, Hwang In-beom, and Lee Kang-in will compete for the award, while the women’s international category features Alanna Kennedy, Caitlin Foord, and Yui Hasegawa.
In futsal, Hossein Tayebi, Saeid Ahmad Abbasi, and Muhammad Osamanmusa are the final three contendors. The AFC Coach of the Year (Men’s) nominees are Joseph Montemurro, Go Kuroda, and Sadayoshi Shirai, while Ma Xiaoxu, Marziyeh Jafari, and Park Youn-jeong contend for the Women’s Coach of the Year award.
For the AFC Youth Player of the Year (Men’s), Maki Kitahara, Ryon Ichihara, and Ryunosuke Sato have been nominated, while Kim Won-sim, Yu Jong-hyang, and Noa Fukushima feature in the women’s category. In the Member Association categories, Japan, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia compete in the Platinum division; China, Thailand, and Vietnam in Diamond; Hong Kong, India, and Malaysia in Gold; and Bangladesh, Guam, and Laos in Ruby.
The remaining honors encompass the Regional Association of the Year across South East, Central, and South Asia, alongside Grassroots Football Development awards across three tiers. The ceremony will also feature a recognition award for Football Australia for hosting the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, as well as the prestigious Diamond of Asia award, whose recipient will be unveiled during the event. The ceremony will be streamed live on the AFC’s YouTube channel and digital platforms.
