Salem Al-Dawsari Expected to Clinch Asia’s Best Player 2025: Leaks Shake the Awards Night
15 October 2025
Exclusive: Leaks Point to Salem Al-Dawsari as Asia's Best Player 2025
A set of leaked reports claim Salem Al-Dawsari, captain of Al-Hilal and the Saudi national team, has won the Asia Best Player award for 2025, beating Akram Afif of Al-Sadd.
The ceremony in Riyadh, scheduled for Thursday, will see twenty awards handed out, led by the Best Player prize.
Al-Dawsari is nominated for Asia's Best Player for the second time, after first earning the honor in 2022.
The finalists include Afif and Aref Aiman, with Al-Dawsari in a tight race.
According to Gulf-based press, Al-Dawsari leads on points with 185, eight ahead of Afif on 177.
This would mark a historic repeat for Al-Dawsari, who previously won the award in 2022.
If Afif were to win again, he would become the fourth player to win twice, joining Afif himself and others from Japan and Uzbekistan.
Aref Ayman could become Malaysia's first to win Asia's top prize.
Season context: Al-Dawsari's 2024-25 campaign with Al-Hilal was standout.
He tallied 27 goals in 51 appearances, plus 18 assists.
The Saudi league counted him among top contributors with 30 overall goal involvements, 15 goals and 15 assists.
He led the league in assists last season, beating Mousa Diaby of Al-Ittihad with 15 assists.
Afif delivered a stellar season with Al-Sadd, contributing to 45 goals in 36 matches (23 goals, 22 assists), leading in assists with 14.
Aref Ayman enjoyed a historic year with Johor Darul Ta’zim, contributing to 34 goals across 42 games; 20 goals, 13 assists.
He guided the team to domestic titles and to the AFC Champions League knockout rounds, scoring five goals in Asia's top competition and four assists.
If Al-Dawsari grabs the prize, it would crown a season where he was Asia's top scorer in the league's Elite, with 10 goals in the AFC Champions League Elite.
The article notes he scored in a 2-0 win over Pachuca during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group stage, helping to reach the knockout rounds.
Meanwhile Afif's and Ayman's runs keep Asia's parading; the ceremony will decide.
Punchline 1: If his trophies start multiplying, his shelf will need a customs declaration just to hold them all.
Punchline 2: They say football is a team game, but apparently Salem’s trophy cabinet already speaks fluent squad depth.
