AFC announces 2026 award nominees with four Iranian representatives

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced the nominees for its 2026 annual awards, featuring several prominent Iranian representatives across multiple categories.

In the Men's Player of the Year category, Alireza Beiranvand, the goalkeeper for Tractor and the Iranian national team, is a nominee alongside Saudi Arabian players Firas Al-Buraikan and Salem Al-Dawsari.

Iran also holds strong positions in futsal, with Hossein Tayyebi (Gohar Zamin) and Saeid Ahmad Abbasi (Giti Pasand) competing for the Best Futsal Player of the Year award against Thailand's Muhammad Osman Musa.

In coaching, Marzieh Jafari, head coach of Khatoon Bam, has been nominated for the Best Women's Coach of the Year. Additionally, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a nominee for the AFC President's Grassroots Football Award (Gold), competing against federations from Australia and Japan.