The AFC published a shortlist of the tournament’s 10 standout performers on Jan. 27, inviting fans to vote for their favorite. After three days of voting, the poll closed with Dinh Bac securing an overwhelming 86.71% of the total votes.
China’s goalkeeper Li Hao finished second with 10.44%, while Jordan’s captain Ali Azaizeh placed third with 2.48%.
The remaining Nominane, Ryunosuke Sato (Japan), Leonardo Shahhin (Lebanon), Rakan Al Ghamdi (Saudi arabia), Mathias Mathias Mathias Mallia, Ali al Memari (UAE), Kim Do-hyun (South Korea), and Sardorbek Bakhromov (Uzbekistan), East Received 0.2% or less of the voice.
The AFC praised Dinh Bac for his talent, noting his series of “match-defining performances” that also earned him the Top Scorer.
The 2004-born forward finished with four goals and two assists, playing a pivotal role in Vietnam’s third-place finish, which was sealed with a penalty shootout victory over South Korea.
Held in Saudi Arabia from Jan. 6-24, the 2026 U23 Asian Cup saw Vietnam enjoy a stellar run. They won four consecutive matches, defeating Jordan (2-0), Kyrgyzstan (2-1), Saudi Arabia (1-0) in the group stage and the UAE (3-2) in the quarterfinals, before falling 0-3 to China in the semifinals.
In the final, Japan successfully defended their title with a commanding 4-0 victory over China, becoming the first team to win back-to-back titles despite fielding a U21 squad.
During the awards ceremony on Jan. 24, Dinh Bac received the Top Scorer award. Japan’s Ryunosuke Sato was named the tournament’s MVP, while his teammate Rui Araki claimed the Best Goalkeeper award, edging out China’s Li.
In addition to the player poll, the AFC launched a vote on Jan. 28 for the “Best Goal of the Knockout Stage.” Dinh Bac’s stunning backward header against the UAE in the quarterfinals is among the six nominations.
Other contenders include goals by Ali Azaizeh (Jordan), Mansoor Al Menhali (UAE), Baek Ga-on (South Korea), Xiang Yuwang (China) and Kosei Ogura (Japan).
Xiang is dominating the poll with 97.51% of the votes for his strike against Vietnam in the semifinals. Bac sits in second place with 2.47%.
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