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Asian players have never quite received the recognition they deserve from the wider football public, yet there is a long list of iconic figures who have left their mark on the game. In this top ten of the greatest Asian players of all time, we look back at some of the names who have helped put football on the map in their respective countries — through their skill and quality, and also through their individual and collective achievements.
10. Shinji Kagawa (Japan)
Now 36, Kagawa is back at Cerezo Osaka, the club where he began his professional career in the J.League before making the big leap to Borussia Dortmund. In Germany he was hugely important, reaching the Champions League final with Dortmund, and also played in the Premier League with Manchester United.
He had a spell in Spain with Real Zaragoza — a signing that generated genuine excitement at La Romareda. With the Japanese national side he won the AFC Asian Cup in 2011.
9. Majed Abdullah (Saudi Arabia)
Known as "the Pelé of the Desert", Majed Abdullah was a striker who spent his entire playing career at Al-Nassr, where he retired in 1994 as the club's all-time top scorer with 259 goals. He is also the all-time top scorer for the Saudi Arabia national side and was named Asian Footballer of the Year on three occasions.
Despite his height, he played with a distinctly Brazilian style that enchanted football lovers of the era. With Al-Nassr he won every honour available; with the Saudi national side he lifted the AFC Asian Cup twice.
8. Oliver Atom (World)
A cult figure if ever there was one — an idol to several generations and imitated by every child in every playground. Born in Japan, the team of his life was the famous New Team, where he began to shine alongside teammates like Benji Price, opening the eyes of half the world.
One of his greatest gifts was always his spinning shot — completely unstoppable for any goalkeeper — along with his seemingly endless dribbling runs that left opponents and spectators alike exhausted.
7. Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Armenia)
"The Wizard of Yerevan" — a player who, even at 36, is still performing at the very highest level and has this season reached the Champions League final with Inter. He made his first steps in Armenian football before quickly attracting interest from the Ukrainian league, where he spent several years at clubs including Shakhtar Donetsk. In his final Ukrainian season he scored 29 goals, rapidly earning a move to one of the Bundesliga's biggest clubs, Borussia Dortmund, where he produced the finest football of his career.
His exceptional level earned him moves to Premier League sides including Manchester United and Arsenal, before he moved to Italy to play for Roma and Inter. A midfielder by trade, he is Armenia's all-time top scorer, and his most notable honours include the Europa League won with the Red Devils and the first-ever UEFA Conference League title with AS Roma.
6. Cha Bum-Kun (South Korea)
Considered one of the pioneers of Asian football in Europe, Cha Bum-Kun was a lethal striker who left his mark on the Bundesliga, playing for Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen. He won the UEFA Cup with both clubs and was the leading Asian scorer in the history of the German league for decades.
He earned more than 120 caps for South Korea and was instrumental in putting his country on the international football map in the 1970s and 80s. His powerful style combined with his goalscoring ability made him a national idol, and he later enjoyed a successful career as a manager.
5. Park Ji-Sung (South Korea)
Nicknamed "three lungs" for his tireless work rate, Park Ji-Sung is one of the most decorated Asian players at club level. He was a key member of the Manchester United side during the Sir Alex Ferguson era, winning multiple trophies including four Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League.
Park Ji-Sung also had a distinguished international career, playing a central role in the South Korea side that reached the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup. He participated in three World Cups and is the first Asian player to have captained a European club in the Champions League. His quality, discipline and commitment made him a defining figure for Asian football in Europe.
4. Ali Daei (Iran)
Ali Daei was for many years the highest international scorer of all time, with 109 goals — a record he held until Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed it. That extraordinary figure made him a living legend of Iranian football and of the Asian continent.
He played in Europe at clubs including Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin, becoming the first Iranian to play in the Champions League. He won the AFC Asian Cup and was the tournament's top scorer on two occasions. Away from the pitch, he has had a significant career as a manager and as a public figure, carrying considerable influence in his country.
3. Paulino Alcántara (Philippines)
Opening the top three, Paulino Alcántara — of Filipino and Spanish nationality — was the first great idol in FC Barcelona's history. He made his debut for the Blaugrana at just 15 and for decades held the record as the club's all-time top scorer with 395 goals in 399 appearances, until Leo Messi surpassed him in 2014.
He represented both the Philippines and Spain at international level and was the first player born in Asia to play for a European club. With Barça he won five Copa del Rey titles and twelve regional championships. In 2007, Paulino Alcántara was recognised by FIFA as the greatest Asian footballer of all time. He was a qualified doctor and from 1920 combined his playing career with the practice of medicine.
2. Heung-Min Son (South Korea)
The greatest ambassador for South Korean football today and one of the finest attackers in the world over the past decade. His career has unfolded primarily in the Bundesliga with Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen, before his definitive explosion at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
A multiple winner of the Asian International Player of the Year award, Son has been his club's top scorer across multiple seasons and was pivotal in taking Spurs to the 2019 Champions League final. With the South Korean national side he won the Asian Games in 2018, which granted him exemption from military service. He is a global idol not only for his quality but for his conduct, his humility and his character.
1. Hidetoshi Nakata (Japan)
Nakata was the first great global icon of Japanese football. His arrival in Italian football in the late 1990s marked a watershed moment for Asian players in Europe. He shone in Serie A at Perugia, Roma — where he won a Scudetto — and Parma, and was known not only for his technical quality and vision but for his enormous charisma off the pitch.
He participated in three World Cups and led Japan to the AFC Asian Cup in 2000. His influence extended well beyond football, making him a figure of Japanese culture on a global scale.
That is our top 10 of the greatest Asian players in history — all of them share one defining quality: they left a legacy and helped put football on the map in their respective countries.
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