Leaks reveal the identity of the "Best Asian Player"

Salem Al-Dawsari, captain of Al-Hilal club and the Saudi national team, is preparing to ascend the podium as the best player in the Asian continent for the year 2025, during the grand ceremony held by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Thursday evening at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh. According to the final voting results, Al-Dawsari narrowly edged out his Qatari competitor, Akram Afif, by a narrow margin of eight points, collecting 185 points compared to 177 for Afif, while Malaysian Arif Hanbi came in third. This crowning achievement marks Al-Dawsari's second time receiving the award, having previously won it in 2022. He becomes the first Saudi player to receive this honor twice, and the fourth Asian player to achieve the feat after the trio of Akram Afif, Hidetoshi Nakata, and Server Djeparov. This honor comes as a culmination of an exceptional season for the Al-Hilal star, during which he shone in the AFC Champions League, topping the scorers list, in addition to his outstanding contributions with his club and national team in various competitions. This 29th edition of the AFC Awards, held for the first time in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, marks a historic milestone in Asian football history, bringing together some of the continent's most prominent stars for an evening celebrating excellence and creativity.