Iran’s Football Captain in the Running for Asia’s Top Honor
In a significant moment for Iranian football, national team captain Sardar Azmoun has been nominated for the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Men’s Footballer of the Year award for 2025. He is shortlisted alongside Akram Afif of Qatar and Salman Al-Dawsari of Saudi Arabia, their respective national team captains, setting the stage for a high-profile contest.
Breaking a Two-Decade Streak
The nomination has ignited hope across the Iranian football community that a 21-year wait for this prestigious accolade may soon be over. The last Iranian to win the official AFC award was Ali Karimi in 2004. Prior to that, legendary figures like Khodadad Azizi (1996), Ali Daei (1999), and Mehdi Mahdavikia (2003) had secured the title, marking a golden era for the nation’s football.
The recent nomination has also revived a spirited, good-natured debate within Iranian football circles about its most successful generation. While the current squad rightly boasts of its historic achievement of qualifying for three consecutive FIFA World Cups, veterans point to their own era’s unparalleled individual accolades on the continental stage. Azmoun’s nomination provides a chance for the new generation to add a major individual honor to their collective success.
A Storied History and a Hopeful Future
The quest for Asia’s best player award has a deep history for Iran. While unofficial recognitions date back to 1972, the AFC formally instituted its annual award in 1996. Iranian players have frequently been finalists in the years since, though the top prize has remained elusive.
The upcoming ceremony in Riyadh presents a formidable challenge, as Azmoun’s rivals are both previous winners of the award. The entire nation now watches with anticipation, hoping Sardar Azmoun can bring the fifth AFC Men’s Footballer of the Year trophy back to Iran, cementing his status as a modern icon of Asian football.
