7 Best Asian Soccer Players Of All-Time

Asia has produced some of the finest soccer players to have ever graced the sport.

Many Asian players have mastered and even outgrown domestic leagues, gaining international recognition and even proving influential for their country. 

But who are the best Asian Soccer players of all time?

7. Ali Daei

Iranian legend Ali Daei played for a host of national club sides such as Esteghlal Ardabil, Taxirani, and most notably a brief spell at Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. 

Daei made his international debut in 1993, representing Iran across a thirteen-year period and winning a record total of 148 caps. He is famous for previously scoring the most international goals with 108 strikes before eventually being surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo. Check out the latest odds across Asia’s other favorite sport with this online cricket betting app

6. Paulinho Alcântara

Paulinho Alcantara featured for just two clubs throughout his career including Barcelona and Bohemian. Whilst at Camp Nou he made 399 appearances and scored a remarkable 395 goals in the process! 

The Philippines international played eleven times for his country throughout the 1921/22 season and went on to score six goals. Yet it is for his extraordinary strike rate in La Liga with Barca that ultimately cemented his legacy. 

5. Park Ji-sung

South Korean Park Ji-sung played for some of the biggest teams in European soccer including Dutch side PSV Eindhoven and Manchester United. He scored 45 goals in 318 matches and is remembered as the complete midfield workhorse. 

Park made his international debut in 2000, going on to win an impressive century of caps and scoring 13 international goals. In 2010, he became the first Asian to score in three consecutive World Cup finals and Asia’s joint all-time leading scorer in the competition with three goals alongside compatriots Ahn Jung-hwan and Son Heung-min.

4. Kunishige Kamamoto

Forward Kunishige Kamamoto played 251 times for Japanese side Yanmar Diesel where he spent his entire career. Over the course of 17 years, he scored 202 goals and was named Japan Soccer League top scorer on six separate occasions. 

Kamamoto represented Japan just ten times all in the year 1964 however he still managed to score a total of eight goals. He was also crowned Japanese Footballer of the Year seven times in total.

3.  Cha-bum Kun

Cha-bum Kun featured for Darmstadt 98, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen whilst appearing 308 times and scoring 98 goals. He won two UEFA cups whilst in Frankfurt and Leverkusen along with a German DFB-Pokal cup. 

Kun earned a national record of 136 caps for South Korea and became their all-time top scorer with a tally of 58 goals overall. He remains the youngest ever player to reach 100 caps at the age of 24 and was named IFFHS Asian player of the 20th century.

2. Keisuke Honda

Keisuke Honda made his international debut in 2008, representing the Japanese national team for ten years and scoring 37 goals in 98 appearances.

He played 501 times throughout his club career for teams such as Nagoya Grampus Eight, CSKA Moscow and the mighty AC Milan. Honda scored 105 goals along with being named both Japanese Player of the Year in 2010 and as the best soccer player in Asia for 2013!

1. Heung-min Son

Perhaps the best Asian Soccer player of all time is Heung-min Son who played for a number of European clubs such as Hamburg SV, Bayer Leverkusen, and Tottenham Hotspur, making 579 appearances and hitting over 200 goals. 

Son has earned over 100 caps for his country and scored an impressive 48 goals for South Korea. He has been named Korean Soccer Player of the Year seven times and Best Soccer Player in Asia on nine occasions!