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AFC U23 Asian Cup
Lethal finishers, midfield maestros and shot-stopping goalkeepers were on display and the-AFC.com highlights several players who lit up the continental showpiece.
Ryunosuke Sato (Japan)
Goals: 4
Assists: 2
Goals: 4
Assists: 2
No other player in the eventual champions’ squad could match Ryunosuke Sato’s output. Anchoring Japan’s midfield with his passing range and ability to initiate attacks, Sato finished the competition with four goals, two assists, and 17 chances created, earning him the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Most Valuable Player award. He capped a superb tournament by scoring in Japan’s 4-0 victory over China PR in the final.
Nguyen Dinh Bac (Vietnam)
Goals: 4
Assists: 2
Goals: 4
Assists: 2
Nguyen Dinh Bac lit up Saudi Arabia 2026 with a series of match-defining performances, finishing as the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Top Scorer after a tournament to remember in which he registered four goals and two assists to help Vietnam secure third place following their penalty shootout win over Korea Republic.
Li Hao (China PR)
Saves: 33
Clean sheets: 5
Saves: 33
Clean sheets: 5
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Despite going home with the silver medal after suffering defeat against Japan, Li Hao was one of the tournament’s standout players. His high save volume dwarfed the competition and he was the pillar of China PR’s defence. His composure in one-on-one situations and penalty shootout heroics in the quarter-finals against Uzbekistan were decisive in China PR’s deep run.
Ali Azaizeh (Jordan)
Goals: 4
Goals: 4
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Ali Azaizeh was Jordan’s primary reference point in attack. The forward scored from a variety of situations – on the fast break and from set-pieces – and returned home with four goals, including a thunderous strike against Saudi Arabia and a stunner in the quarter-final against Japan.
Leonardo Shahin (Lebanon)
Goals: 4
Goals: 4
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Leonardo Shanin was the ace in the pack for Lebanon, with the forward scoring in every group stage match - including netting a double against Uzbekistan. He finished with four goals in a team that often played with little possession.
Rakan Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)
Goals: 2
Chances created: 12
Goals: 2
Chances created: 12
One of the tournament’s most promising creators, Rakan Al Ghamdi created the second highest number of chances (12) after Sato (17), consistently unlocking defences with his vision and deft touches. He first caught the eye by scoring the only goal in Saudi Arabia’s clash against Kyrgyz Republic, before finding the net again with the opener in their 3-2 defeat to Jordan.
Mathias Macallister (Australia)
Goals: 2
Goals: 2
Australia’s Mathias MacAllister was a standout for the Olyroos, scoring the winner against Thailand and a stoppage-time strike against Iraq, showing his knack for decisive moments. His attacking contributions, work rate and composure made him pivotal to Australia advancing into the knockout stage.
Ali Al Memari (United Arab Emirates)
Goals: 2
Goals: 2
A lethal finisher inside the box, UAE’s Ali Al Memari made his mark at Saudi Arabia 2026 with goals against Qatar and Syria, providing a cutting edge in attack for his side. Despite his side exiting at the quarter-final stage, his clinical finishing made him one of the UAE’s standout performers.
Kim Do-hyun (Korea Republic)
Assists: 2
Assists: 2
Kim Do-hyun starred as a creative spark for Korea Republic – providing key assists when it mattered. Kim delivered the perfect cutback, setting up Kang Seong-jin for Korea Republic’s third goal in their 4-2 win over Lebanon. He rose to the occasion again with a minute left in regulation time to set-up Kim Tae-won to equalise and send the match into extra-time in the third-place playoff against Vietnam.
Sardorbek Bakhromov (Uzbekistan)
Goals: 1
Goals: 1
Sardorbek Bakhromov had the highest shots-on-goal ratio (9) for Uzbekistan. He made his impact against Lebanon, finding the net in their 3-2 group stage win. Bakhromov also converted Uzbekistan’s opening penalty in the quarter-final shootout against eventual winners China PR.
Poll ends at 17:00 (UTC+8) on January 30
