# 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!

*By YPB Team · Published May 27, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-asian-midfielder-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

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.

Tags: asia, football, players, world cup, legends, all-time, midfielders