Sports

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

Dec 25 (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.

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