Top 10 highest scorers in AFC Asian Cup of all time

A number of sensational attackers have participated in the tournament over the years.

The AFC Asian Cup is one the most prestigious competitions in Asia. The continental tournament is contested by many teams from qualifiers to the main stage, which makes it one of the biggest in the world. Over the years, some of the best players in the continent has racked up multiple goals, becoming the highest scorers of the AFC Asian Cup.

Here are the top 10 players who have scored the most number of goals in the history of the competition:

10. Choi Soon-ho (South Korea) - 7 goals

Choi Soon-ho is regarded as one of the most prolific strikers who have played for South Korea. He represented the national team over 96 times, scoring 30 goals in the process. The striker scored seven goals in the AFC Asian Cup for the national team and guided them till the final of the 1980 edition.

9. Hossein Kalani (Iran) - 7 goals

Hossein Kalani of Iran is the next on the list, who also scored seven goals, but did so in fewer games. The striker featured for the national team 24 times and scored 11 goals for them. He also featured for clubs like Persepolis FC and Paykan Tehran among others in his playing career.

8. Behtash Fariba (Iran) - 7 goals

Another iconic striker from Iran, Behtash Fariba scored seven goals in the AFC Asian Cup, becoming one of the highest scorers in the competition. All of the seven goals came in the 1980 edition of the tournament, in which Iran went on to finish third. The forward had a good scoring rate for the national team, finding the back of the net 12 times in 16 games. 

7. Younis Mahmoud (Iraq) - 8 goals

Younis Mahmoud is perhaps the best player Iraq has ever produced. He captained the national team for over a decade and guided them to an iconic 2007 Asian Cup triumph. He scored eight goals in the tournament. The striker scored 57 goals in 148 games for the national team.

6. Jasem Al-Huwaidi (Kuwait) - 8 goals

Kuwait’s legendary striker, Jasem Al-Huwaidi was a vital figure back in the day and remains one of the highest scorers in the AFC Asian Cup. Four of his eight goals in the Asian Cup history came in the 1996 edition. He scored a mindblowing 63 goals in 74 total appearances for the national side. 

5. Almoez Ali (Qatar) - 9 goals

Almoez Ali is hailed as the next superstar to come out of Asia. The forward was instrumental in Qatar’s 2019 Asian Cup triumph. He broke the record for scoring most number of goals in a single tournament after scoring nine goals. Ali has 29 goals for Qatar in a relatively young age and will have more opportunities to add to his tally.

4. Ali Mabkhout (UAE) - 9 goals

Veteran striker Ali Mabkhout has also scored nine goals in the AFC Asian Cup over the years.  Mabkhout holds the record for scoring the fastest goal ever scored in Asian Cup history in fourteenth second. The 30-year-old won the golden boot in the 2015 edition with five goals and continues to be a vital player for the UAE.

3. Naohiro Takahara (Japan) - 9 goals

Naohiro Takahara is still an active player, but his days representing Japan have long passed. The 41-year-old plays for Okinawa SV in Japan. The striker has a total of nine goals as well in the Asian Cup. He helped Japan win the 2000 edition by scoring five goals. 

2. Lee Dong-gook (South Korea) - 10 goals

Lee Dong-gook of South Korea is second on the list with 10 goals to his name in the tournament. He played over 105 times for the national team, scoring 33 goals in the process. He scored six goals in the 2000 edition and became the top scorer. 

1. Ali Daei (Iran) - 14 goals

Ali Daei is the at the top among the highest scorers in the history of the AFC Asian Cup with 14 goals. The legendary Iranian striker also holds the record for scoring most number of goals in men’s international football with 109 goals. In his playing career, Ali Daei has also featured for teams like Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich and Hertha BSC. He scored 109 goals for the national team in 149 games.

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