Europe and South America continue to be the biggest powerhouses in world football but other continents are starting to catch up to the traditional top dogs.
Asia is an example of a continent obsessed with football, especially in the far east, with the calibre of players coming out of Japan, South Korea and beyond of an unbelievable standard. Many of their top talents are now household names in Europe, both in the men's and women's game.
Some of Europe's elite sides are represented by leading Asian footballers, with 90min taking a closer look at the continent's best players in EA FC 25.
Best Asian players in EA FC 25
There's no surprise to see Son Heung-min, Tottenham Hotspur and South Korea's exceptional forward, top the ratings for Asian players. The 32-year-old enjoyed another dazzling season in north London, helping him keep hold of his 87 overall rating for this year's game.
Not many come close to matching Son's stats but Yui Hasegawa is the closest. The Man City Women midfielder enjoyed a fantastic 2023/24 season, coming close to the Women's Super League title. She's been given an upgrade in EA FC 25 and is now 84-rated, five overall higher than her club and international teammate Risa Shimizu.
Japan dominate the top 20 Asian players, with Hina Sugita (83), Yuki Nagasato (83) and Jun Endo (80) all representing teams in the United States' National Women's Soccer League. In the men's game, Kaoru Mitoma (81), Takefusa Kubo (81) and Daichi Kamada (81) are the highest-rated Japanese talents.
Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo has been handed an 80 overall rating after an impressive debut season at Anfield, while former Red Takumi Minamino has been handed an upgrade of +5 that takes him to 79 overall after sparkling with Monaco.
South Korea are the nation most represented in the top 20 behind Japan, with Son and Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae (83) the most coveted players. Seattle Reign's Ji So-yun (82) and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in (79) boast strong ratings and stats.
There are only three nations represented outside of Japan and South Korea. Iranian centre-forward Mehdi Taremi, who recently joined Serie A champions Inter, comes in at 80, while Saudi Arabian forward Salem Al Dawsari matches Taremi's rating. Tottenham Hotspur Women winger Shuang Wang is China's highest-rated player.
20 highest-rated Asian players in EA FC 25
Player | Nationality | Club | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
Son Heung-min | South Korea | Tottenham | 87 |
Yui Hasegawa | Japan | Man City Women | 84 |
Kim Min-jae | South Korea | Bayern Munich | 83 |
Hina Sugita | Japan | Portland Thorns | 83 |
Yuki Nagasato | Japan | Houston Dash | 83 |
Saki Kumagai | Japan | Roma Femminile | 83 |
Ji So-yun | South Korea | Seattle Reign | 82 |
Kaoru Mitoma | Japan | Brighton | 81 |
Takefusa Kubo | Japan | Real Sociedad | 81 |
Daichi Kamada | Japan | Crystal Palace | 81 |
Mehdi Taremi | Iran | Inter | 80 |
Wataru Endo | Japan | Liverpool | 80 |
Salem Al Dawsari | Saudi Arabia | Al Hilal | 80 |
Jun Endo | Japan | Angel City | 80 |
Shuang Wang | China | Tottenham Women | 79 |
Lee Kang-in | South Korea | Paris Saint-Germain | 79 |
Hidemasa Morita | Japan | Sporting CP | 79 |
Hiroki Ito | Japan | Bayern Munich | 79 |
Takumi Minamino | Japan | Monaco | 79 |
Risa Shimizu | Japan | Man City Women | 79 |
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