Who is the best Asian midfielder of all time?

Serie A gems, Bundesliga artisans, and La Liga captains — Asian midfielders who became genuine stars in Europe's top leagues while carrying their nations on the world stage. Cast your vote!

1

Hidetoshi Nakata

Japan's most iconic player, a technically brilliant midfielder who starred in Serie A for Perugia, Roma, and Parma in the early 2000s.

2

Park Ji-sung

South Korean engine who won four Premier League titles and a Champions League medal at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson.

3

Shunsuke Nakamura

Japan's beloved free-kick maestro who became a hero at Celtic in Scotland and starred at two World Cups.

4

Keisuke Honda

Japan's talismanic attacking midfielder known for powerful free kicks, who played for CSKA Moscow, AC Milan, and scored at three World Cups.

5

Shinji Kagawa

Japanese playmaker who won two Bundesliga titles with Dortmund and played for Manchester United, one of the most technically gifted Asian players.

6

Ali Karimi

Iran's most celebrated player, a dazzling dribbler nicknamed the 'Maradona of Iran' who played for Bayern Munich and won over 100 caps.

7

Yasuhito Endo

Japan's most capped player with 152 appearances, a brilliant deep-lying playmaker who starred for Gamba Osaka across two decades.

8

Omar Abdulrahman

UAE's gifted playmaker nicknamed 'Amoory', famous for his creativity and dribbling, who spent his peak years in Saudi Arabia's league.

9

Javad Nekounam

Iran's hardworking captain and central midfielder who played for Osasuna in La Liga and earned over 150 caps for his country.

10

Zheng Zhi

China's most successful captain, a technically capable central midfielder who played for Charlton Athletic in the Premier League.

11

Brett Emerton

Australia's energetic right winger who played for Feyenoord and Blackburn Rovers and earned 95 caps for the Socceroos.

12

Mark Bresciano

Australia's cultured central midfielder who played in Serie A for Parma and Palermo and scored at the 2006 World Cup.

13

Yoo Sang-chul

South Korean golden generation midfielder who was a tireless runner and scored in the 2002 World Cup semi-final run against Germany.