From Khusanov to Son Heung-min: Asia’s best footballers in 2025

Dec 25, 2025 | News On Japan

Dec 25, 2025 (News On Japan) - International betting brand 1xBet has compiled a list of our continent’s top 5 players who have excelled this year.

Abdukodir Khusanov, Manchester City

The young Uzbek defender, for whom the Citizens paid €40 million, is making rapid progress under Pep Guardiola. Khusanov has incredible speed, physical strength and is excellent at reading the game. At the same time, Abdukodir is capable of playing both in central defense and on the right wing.

This season, Khusanov was forced to miss many games due to injury. Despite this, he remains one of Man City’s most promising players, with whom the Citizens intend to build their future.

Kaoru Mitoma, Brighton & Hove Albion

The skilful Japanese player continues to be Brighton’s leader and one of the best wingers in the English Premier League. He spent the second half of last season at the highest level and finished the league with 10 goals and 4 assists. In the autumn, Kaoru suffered a serious injury, from which he is still recovering.

There’s no doubt that Mitoma will return stronger and continue to delight England with his solo runs and spectacular goals.

Lee Kang-in, Paris Saint-Germain

This spring, the Korean midfielder won the Champions League and all domestic titles in France. Due to fierce competition at Paris Saint-Germain, Lee Kang-in doesn’t always make it into the starting line-up, but he regularly takes to the pitch and is an important player for the Red-and-Blues. Last season, he had 12 goal involvements in Ligue 1, and in the UEFA Super Cup match, the Korean’s beautiful goal helped PSG turn the tide against Tottenham and win the trophy.

You won’t find a single Parisian fan who doesn’t admire Lee Kang-in’s performances, just as you won’t find any justified 1xBet complaints. The reliable brand has an impeccable reputation, and its platform is visited by over 3 million satisfied players every month.

Salem Al-Dawsari, Al-Hilal

At 34 years of age, Saudi football legend Salem Al-Dawsari is still racking up impressive stats. He finished last season with 27 goals and 18 assists in all competitions, and has already made 8 goal contributions for Al-Hilal this season.

Last AFC Champions League Elite season, Salem was the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals, and in October, Al-Dawsari was named AFC Player of the Year 2025.

Son Heung-min, Tottenham Hotspur / Los Angeles FC

The former Spurs captain spent the first half of 2025 at the London club, winning a long-awaited trophy – the Europa League. The Korean managed to end his magnificent career at Tottenham on a high note, after which he moved overseas.

Wearing the Los Angeles FC jersey, Asia’s biggest star of recent years keeps demonstrating top-class football: in 13 matches for the Californian club, Son Heung-min has scored 12 goals and made 4 assists. His debut goal in MLS was particularly memorable: the Korean masterfully executed a free kick, hitting the top corner of FC Dallas’s goal. It’s no wonder that at the end of 2025, Son Heung-min was named the Best Footballer in Asia for a record 10th time.

Betting company 1xBet offers a wide range of bets on all popular local and global sporting events, and delights fans with high odds and generous promos.

Record Rain Triggers Level 5 Warning in Fukui

Record rainfall caused 19 rivers to overflow across Fukui Prefecture, flooding roads and homes, triggering landslides and temporarily forcing authorities to issue the highest-level heavy rain emergency warning from early Sunday morning.

Drones Deliver Supplies to Residents Cut Off by Landslide

Drones were used to deliver food and daily necessities to an isolated mountain community in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, on August 30 after torrential rain triggered a landslide that cut off road access, while volunteers continued flood recovery work in neighboring Ishikawa Prefecture.

Typhoon No. 23 Overtakes No. 22 East of Japan as Both Head North

Two typhoons east of Japan were moving northward on August 30, with Typhoon No. 23 (Banlan) overtaking Typhoon No. 22 (Artau), although neither storm is expected to have a direct impact on Japan.

Nine-Minute Drone Video Shows Scale of Aeon Mall Damage

A 9-minute, 13-second drone video filmed inside Aeon Mall Kumamoto two days after the deadly explosion has provided a detailed view of the destruction, showing collapsed ceilings, heavy dust and widespread damage that may have affected between one-third and nearly half of the shopping center.

Conditions Ease as Typhoon No. 18 Passes Okinawa

Strong Typhoon No. 18 was moving northwest through the East China Sea on the night of August 26, gradually pulling away from Okinawa and the Amami Islands as lingering rain, strong winds and high waves were expected to ease. As of 9 p.m. on August 26, the typhoon was over waters north-northwest of Kume Island and moving northwest.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sports NEWS

Children Try Cricket Ahead of Asian Games

Families and children tried their hand at cricket at an event in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, on August 29, designed to build interest in the sport ahead of its competition at the Asian Games.

Scoop on National Goldfish Scooping Championship

Around 1,500 competitors from across Japan gathered in Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture, for the National Goldfish Scooping Championship, testing their skills in three-minute contests to determine the country's best goldfish scoopers.

Japan Team Holds Ceremony One Month Before Asian Games

Japan's delegation for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held a team formation ceremony at a hotel in Tokyo on August 19, exactly one month before the competition opens, with wrestler Akari Fujinami pledging that the athletes would "fight through to the very end" on home soil.

Asian Games Plans Evacuation Measures

Organizers of the Asian Games and Asian Para Games are preparing evacuation plans for athletes and officials staying in temporary container houses and a cruise ship at Nagoya Port, with around 20,000 participants and related personnel expected to visit Aichi Prefecture during the 23-day competition period beginning September 19.

Japan's Top High School Gamers Battle for National Esports Crown

STAGE:0, one of Japan's largest esports tournaments for high school students, has opened in Osaka, bringing together more than 2,000 teams from across the country to compete for the title of national champion.

Teqball Eyes Breakthrough at Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

Teqball, a sport combining elements of soccer and table tennis, will make its Asian Games debut when the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games open in September, giving Japan's players a major opportunity to raise the profile of a discipline that has so far attracted relatively little attention domestically.

Alpen Flagship Store Opens in Osaka

Major sporting goods retailer Alpen is opening Alpen OSAKA, one of the largest sports and lifestyle stores in the Kansai region, at the former Uniqlo site in Osaka's Chayamachi district, with six floors offering everything from running shoes and golf equipment to hands-on product testing.

CDI and NYRA Create New 3-Year-Old Championship Series, Leaving Preakness S. Effectively Isolated

On August 3, 2026, Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) and the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced the launch of the "Thoroughbred Championship Series" to determine the top 3-year-old thoroughbred, starting next season, as reported by Sponichi Annex.

< 2 3 4 5 >