Two Saudi players, Salem Al Dawsari and Feras Al Brikan, will compete with Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand for the 2026 AFC Men's Player of the Year, after the Asian Football Confederation named its shortlists for awards in 19 categories.

The 30th edition of the AFC Annual Awards takes place on November 19 at the Aksra Theatre in the King Power complex in Bangkok. Thailand is hosting the event for the second time, having first staged it in 2017.

Al Dawsari is chasing a record third award after his wins in 2022 and 2025. As Al-Hilal captain he led the club through an unbeaten league season in 2025-2026, to a 10th King's Cup and into the knockout rounds of the AFC Champions League Elite. First-time nominee Al Brikan scored the winner in the AFC Champions League Elite final as Al-Ahli lifted the trophy for a second year running, and helped Saudi Arabia qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Beiranvand, who plays in goal for Tractor, is seeking his first win after helping his club reach the last 16 of the same competition.

The women's award shortlist features Australia's Holly McNamara, the league's top scorer with Melbourne City for a second straight season and top scorer in the AFC Women's Champions League with four goals; North Korea's Kim Kyong Yong, who scored the final's goal as Naegohyang won the AFC Women's Champions League; and South Korean defender Kim Hye-ri, who helped her country reach the semi-finals of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup.

Defending champion Lee Kang-in of South Korea faces Japan's Ayase Ueda and South Korea's Hwang In-beom for the International Player of the Year award, while Japan's Yui Hasegawa and Australians Alanna Kennedy and Caitlin Foord contest the women's prize.

Joseph Montemurro, Go Kuroda and Sadayoshi Shirai are up for Men's Coach of the Year, with Marziyeh Jafari, Park Youn-jeong and Ma Xiaoxu nominated in the women's category. The youth awards shortlists feature Japan's Ryunosuke Sato, Maki Kitahara and Rion Ichihara for the men, and North Korea's Kim Won Sim and Yu Jong Hyang and Japan's Noa Fukushima for the women.