Cristiano Ronaldo secured the third position in the voting for the 2023 Asian Player of the Year award, with Son Heung-min claiming the top spot with a total of 231 points. Kim Min-jae, Son’s teammate from the South Korean national team, secured second place with 197 points.

The final results of the “Best Asian Player 2023” award saw Ronaldo receiving 172 points, placing him in third position. Despite Kaoru Mitoma’s less impressive performance in the latter half of 2023, the Japanese star finished fourth.

The “Best Asian Player 2023” award, often regarded as the “Asian Golden Ball,” is determined through a voting process organized by Titan Sports (China), with input from experts, former players, coaches, and knowledgeable football journalists across Asia.

This marks the seventh consecutive year that Son Heung-min, also known as Sonny, has clinched this prestigious individual award. The Tottenham Hotspur star has now been honored a total of nine times since 2014. Since 2017, the South Korean national team captain has consistently dominated the top individual accolade in Asian football.

Established in 2013, the Asian Player of the Year award operates independently from the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) and is open to players representing AFC member associations or playing in Asia.