Son Heung-min Wins Best Footballer in Asia for Record 10th Time

SINGAPORE – Son Heung-min has achieved a remarkable feat by being named Best Footballer in Asia for the 10th time. This accolade was awarded in a vote conducted by Chinese newspaper Titan Sports on October 13, 2025.

In the vote, Son outperformed fellow South Korean player Lee Kang-in and Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo. Son secured 146 points from a panel of 63 judges, furthering his impressive streak that began in 2014 and includes wins every year from 2017 through 2023.

Lee Kang-in finished in second place with 105 points, while Ronaldo, currently playing for Saudi club Al Nassr, came in third with 91 points. Notably, Ronaldo has not won the award since relocating to Saudi Arabia in January 2023, finishing third, fourth, and third in recent editions.

The Best Footballer in Asia award, established in 2013, honors players representing national teams or clubs in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Only four players have won the title since its inception: Keisuke Honda in 2013, Shinji Okazaki in 2016, and Son in all other years.

The voting jury consisted of 42 media representatives from AFC member associations and 21 international journalists. Each judge rated five players using a points system, and 14 judges placed Son at the top, while Lee and Ronaldo received eight votes each.

Riyad Mahrez of Al Ahli took fourth place with 75 points, and Karim Benzema of Al Ittihad was fifth with 73 points. The only Southeast Asian player to make the list was Indonesia’s captain Jay Idzes, who plays for Sassuolo and finished 32nd with one point.