Ranked! The 10 best Asian players right now

Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, best Asian players
(Image credit: Getty Images)

For Europe-focused football fans, who the best Asian players in the world are isn't always obvious. Not compared to the best European players, anyway.

But with a World Cup taking place in Asia for the first time in 20 years later this year – and with five Asian countries competing – it's worth boning up on who it's worth keeping an eye out for.

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John Duerden has covered Asian sport for over 20 years for The Guardian, Associated Press, ESPN, BBC, New York Times,  as well as various Asian media. He is also the author of four books, including Rovers Revolution: Blackburn's Rise from Nowhere to Premier League Champions and Lions and Tigers: The Story of Football in Singapore and Malaysia.