Al-Buraikan and Al-Dawsari compete for AFC Champions League Elite Player of the Year 2026

The Asian Football Confederation has announced the nominees for the 2026 awards, which will take place on November 19 in Bangkok, featuring a selection of the continent's top stars.

The 30th edition of the awards will see the distribution of honors across 19 different categories at the King Power Axsra Theatre, which is hosting the event for the second time after the 2017 edition.

Feras Al-Buraikan and Salem Al-Dawsari, players of the Saudi national team, are competing with Iranian Alireza Beiranvand for the AFC Champions League Elite Best Player award in a race featuring three prominent names.

Feras Al-Buraikan has been included in the squad for the first time after helping Al Ahly FC win the AFC Champions League Elite title for the 2025-2026 season by scoring the winning goal in the final, assisting the team in retaining the title for the second consecutive season.

The 26-year-old forward has supported Al Ahly FC's push for third place in the Saudi league, scoring two goals in the AFC Champions League Elite playoff for the 2026 World Cup, before starting in all three matches for the Saudi national team in the tournament.

Salem Al-Dawsari aims to win the award for the third time, having previously won it in 2022 and 2025, which would mark a remarkable achievement if he surpasses his competitors.

Al-Hilal captain Salem Al-Dawsari has made nine appearances in World Cup matches, equalling the second place among the most capped Saudi players in World Cup history. He also led Al-Hilal to finish the 2025-2026 season in the league unbeaten.

Salem Al-Dawsari has added to his domestic achievements by contributing to Al-Hilal's tenth King Cup title, alongside the team's progression to the knockout stages of the AFC Champions League Elite.