Khusanov named Asia’s best young footballer

Uzbekistan national team and Manchester City central defender Abdukodir Khusanov has been named Asia’s best young footballer of 2025 by Goalpost.

The past year was of historic significance for the 21-year-old footballer. In January, Khusanov joined Manchester City, becoming the first Uzbek player to make his debut in the English Premier League.

In June, he played a key role in helping the Uzbekistan national team qualify for the FIFA World Cup. In the current season, the defender has made nine appearances for the “Citizens.”

In the Goalpost poll, Khusanov finished ahead of several promising Asian footballers, including:

• Abboshbek Fayzullaev (Istanbul Basaksehir, Uzbekistan);
• Nestory Irankunda (Watford, Australia);
• Marcelino Ferdinand (Oxford United, Indonesia);
• Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland, South Korea);
• Ali Jasim (Como / Al-Najma, Iraq).

In addition, Abdukodir Khusanov ranked 86th in The Athletic’s list of the world’s top 100 footballers.