Overview
- Saudi Arabia’s Salem Al-Dawsari reclaimed Men’s Player of the Year, finishing ahead of Qatar’s Akram Afif and Malaysia’s Arif Aiman.
- His award followed Saudi Arabia clinching a third consecutive World Cup berth earlier this week.
- Japan defender Hana Takahashi won the women’s prize over Australia’s Holly McNamara and China’s Wang Shuang.
- The results extend long-running patterns, with a seventh Saudi men’s winner since 1994 and a sixth Japanese women’s winner since 1999.
- North Korea’s Ri Song Ho was named Coach of the Year, while Lee Kang-in and Maika Hamano collected the international player awards.