Best Asian Footballers of all time

 Here, we will take a look at 10 of the best Asian footballers of all time. Asia has been a country which has nurtured talent in many sports. But as their talent get limited to track and field events, other sports take a backseat in comparison. However, this hasn’t prevented talented players to stop their profession as Asia continues to be a budding football-crazy continent. The 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan proved it with an electric atmosphere around the stadiums. Also, the Japanese women won the 2011 FIFA World Cup. Thus, along with the impressive performance by Asian teams in the 2002 World Cup, a foundation had been laid on the fact that Asian countries can give consistent competition to it’s European neighbours, a fact that had been established long back but was kept hidden from football fanatics due to the over reliance on European players. So, we will take a look at some of these players who have carved their own niche in the sport and made the continent proud.

#10 Khodadad Azizi

Azzizi is a retired Iranian player who was an integral part of the Iranian team in the 1996 Asian Cup, 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2000 Asian Cup. Collecting the honor of being the best player of Asia in 1996, he is prominently remembered for his goal against Australia that saw Iran qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Along with Ali Daei and Karim Bagheri, he is one of the first Iranians to play in the Bundesliga when he transferred to FC Koln where he scored 10 goals in 50 matches. He also played in the United States Soccer League but his decline was already imminent. Subsequently, he retired in 2006. But he would never be forgotten amongst Iran fans as he that solitary goal broke millions of Australian hearts and gave hope to the rife-strewn Iranian nation. He is the man who was responsible for Iran’s succes in the Asia Cup in 1996, winning the Asian Cup Most Valuable Player Award in the process. A true hero for Iran. Lets have a look at that pivotal goal against Australia that is forever etched in World Cup memory.