AFC Asian Cup 2023 in 2024: Son Heung-min and Kubo Takefusa among stars to watch in Qatar
Here are six men who could make a big impact at the Asian Cup, and perhaps lift the trophy.
Football
The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 is set to be the best yet as Asian footballers continue to make their mark in the top leagues.
Qatar defend their title on home soil, but the likes of Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Republic of Korea will do their best to spoil the party.
South Korea captain Son Heung-min is the obvious star name taking part in the tournament, but FC Porto striker Mehdi Taremi will be hoping to fire the Islamic Republic of Iran to glory and attract interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs.
Scroll down to learn more about six men who could shine at the 18th edition of the Asian Cup.
Salem Al-Dawsari (Saudi Arabia)
Salem Al-Dawsari will forever be remembered as the man who scored Saudi Arabia's spectacular winner in their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 opener against eventual champions Argentina.
The winger netted twice more in the tournament to equal Sami Al-Jaber's Saudi World Cup record tally of three goals.
That came months after he led Al-Hilal to the final of the AFC Champions League, with four goals and three assists in eight matches, and helped the club complete a hat-trick of Saudi Pro League titles.
And then in the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2022, he had two goals and an assist in the 3-2 win over Flamengo which saw Al-Hilal become the first Saudi side to reach the final.
Those exploits earned him the AFC Player of the Year 2022 award, and the 32-year-old has continued in the same vein this season with nine goals as Al-Hilal took a nine-point lead into the Pro League winter break.
An 11-year veteran of the national side, Al-Dawsari can score spectacular goals and has found the net 22 times in 78 appearances.
He also appeared as an over-age player at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, scoring once as Saudi Arabia went out in the group stages.
Connor Metcalfe (Australia)
Connor Metcalfe may currently be playing his club football for German second-tier side St. Pauli, but looks sure to be gracing bigger stages in the near future.
The midfielder was a key cog in Melbourne City's 2020-21 A League title triumph and awarded the Harry Kewell Medal as the best young Australian player that season.
After helping Melbourne City retain their A League crown, Metcalfe moved to the famous Hamburg club and helped them to fifth place in 2. Bundesliga in his first campaign.
Alongside fellow Socceroo, club captain Jackson Irvine, the 24-year-old is further enhancing his reputation as a versatile player with an eye for a pass and a goal.
An Olympian from Tokyo 2020, Metcalfe just missed out on Australia's FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 squad but has since become a regular for the national side.
And this season in Germany, he has helped St. Pauli into second place at the winter break with the side closing in on a return to the top flight for the first time since 2011.
Wearing squad number 24, he also won the September Goal of the Month award for his stunning opening strike (see above) in the 5-1 win over Holstein Kiel.
Mehdi Taremi (Islamic Republic of Iran)
A prolific goalscorer in his homeland for Persepolis, Mehdi Taremi had to serve a four-month ban during the 2017-18 season after reneging on an agreement to join Turkish side Caykur Rizepor.
In January 2018, he joined Qatari side Al Gharafa and continued to find the net regularly. He finally got his move to Europe in the summer of 2019, scoring 18 goals in his first season at Portuguese Primeira Liga club Rio Ave.
A year later, he signed for FC Porto where he has averaged at least a goal every other game and won consecutive league titles in 2022 and 2023. Last season, he won the Bola de Prata top scorer award thanks to 22 goals with seven assists to boot.
The epitome of an all-round striker, he has also shone in the UEFA Champions League and a spectacular overhead kick against Chelsea earned him the 2020/21 Goal of the Tournament award.
Taremi made his national team debut in 2015 and appeared at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup. He scored three goals in the United Arab Emirates including the opener in Iran's 3-0 quarter-final win over People's Republic of China.
A 3-0 semi-final defeat to Japan ended his first Asian Cup campaign but, with big clubs in England keeping tabs on his progress, he will be hoping to fire Iran even further this time round in Qatar.
Akram Afif (Qatar)
The hero of Qatar's first Asian Cup triumph in 2019, Akram Afif will be hoping to inspire the hosts again this time round.
Having spent time with Spanish La Liga clubs Sevilla and Villarreal's youth sides, Afif made his senior bow for Belgian club Eupen in January 2015.
After scoring on his debut and a superb season and a half, the left winger returned to Villarreal on a permanent contract but was quickly sent out on a year-long loan to Sporting Gijon. He failed to make an impact in northern Spain, playing just nine games before rejoining Eupen on loan for the following season.
Then came another loan spell, back home at Al-Sadd, where things most definitely clicked. After three goals in seven games at the end of the 2017/18 campaign, he netted 26 times in 22 matches to lead the side to its first Qatar Stars League title for six years.
That triumph came either side of his stunning contribution to his country's greatest football moment.
Afif scored three goals and had an Asian Cup single tournament record 10 assists - including an assist and a converted penalty in the 3-1 final victory against Japan - as Qatar took home the trophy.
His performances for club and country earned him the 2019 Asian Player of the Year award, and he has continued to create and score goals at will ahead of Qatar's title defence.
Kubo Takefusa (Japan)
A former Barcelona and Real Madrid prodigy, Kubo Takefusa has started to fulfil his potential at Real Sociedad in the last couple of seasons.
Kubo earned the nickname 'The Japanese Messi' when he played alongside Ansu Fati at Barcelona's famed La Masia academy. But the club was found to have violated FIFA's international transfer policy for youth players and he returned home to FC Tokyo.
After becoming the youngest player in J.League history at 15, he moved on loan to Yokohama F. Marinos before becoming a first-team regular at FC Tokyo and signing for Real Madrid in June 2019.
The left-footed forward never played competitively for the Spanish giants having been sent out on loan to Primera Liga rivals Mallorca, Villarreal, Getafe and then Mallorca again.
In July 2022, he signed permanently for Real Sociedad and has become a mainstay of the Basque side with his pace - often cutting in on his left foot from the right wing - and powerful shooting.
At international level, Kubo received his first Japan call-up just before his 18th birthday but did not make his debut until June 2019.
Two years later, he scored Japan's first goal of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games against South Africa and starred - netting twice more - as the hosts took fourth place.
He made two starts at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 but has since cemented a place in the first XI, in part thanks to his improved form in Spain.
Despite admitting to his disappointment at having to take a break from the Spanish league, he now looks to play his part in Japan's bid for a record fifth Asian Cup title.
Son Heung-min (Republic of Korea)
Having established himself as one of the world's leading players thanks to his club exploits in Germany and England, Son Heung-min would love to lead South Korea to a first Asian Cup triumph since 1960.
The youngest goalscorer in Asian Cup history, against India during the 2011 tournament, Son helped the side to the semi-finals that year and then scored their extra-time equaliser in the final defeat to Australia four years later. In 2014, he netted his first of three goals at three FIFA World Cups.
Already a star at Bundesliga sides Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen, the 31-year-old has attained even greater heights at English club Tottenham.
'Sonny' played a key role in South Korea's Asian Games triumph in 2018, a success which exempted the squad from mandatory military service, and subsequently took the captain's armband.
After a disappointing 2019 Asian Cup, Son has continued to excel at club level.
While capable of playing in most positions in attack and midfield, his goalscoring has caught the eye in recent seasons and he shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Mo Salah in 2022. He is also the first Asian player to score 100 Premier League goals and won the FIFA Puskas Award in 2020 for a spectacular solo effort against Burnley.
Having scored 12 goals in 20 Premier League appearances this season, Son will hope to carry his club form to Qatar and fire the Reds to Asian Cup glory.