Marking the sixth occasion that the gala will be held in West Asia, the 29th edition will crown winners from across 20 award categories as it honours players, coaches, officials as well as the AFC’s Member Associations and Regional Associations.

 

The AFC Player of the Year prize will see Akram Afif hoping to notch a record third win, while Salem Al Dawsari is eyeing his second trophy with Arif Aiman Hanapi—the first-ever Malaysian nominee—rounding off the contenders. In the AFC Women’s Player of the Year category, 2018 winner Wang Shuang will vie for a second trophy against first-time nominees Holly NcNamara and Hana Takahashi.

 

The presentation of both headline accolades will round off a glittering night, which will also see the AFC Diamond of Asia and AFC President’s Recognition Award for Outstanding Achievement being awarded.

 

In line with the refreshed AFC brand identity, the AFC Awards—formerly known as the AFC Annual Awards—will adopt a sparkling new trophy design for all award categories as well as an updated medal design for the AFC Diamond of Asia going forward, starting from this edition.

 

Hosted by Mohammed Saadon Al Kuwari and Nathalie Mamo, and featuring a dazzling display segment that will showcase the richness of Saudi Arabia’s traditions, the AFC Awards Riyadh 2025 presented by NEOM is set to be an unforgettable night.

 

The award categories by order of sequence are:

 

The following award categories will be announced at the AFC Awards Riyadh 2025 and presented at another special event:

 

The full list of nominees for the AFC Awards Riyadh 2025 presented by NEOM can be viewed here and the ceremony, which is set to commence at 8pm (GMT +3), can be followed on the AFC’s YouTube and other digital platforms.