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 caliber 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 Sports Illustrated taking a closer look at the continent's best players in EA FC 25.
Best Asian Players in EA FC 25
It will come as no surprise that Son Heung-min is the top-rated Asian player in EA FC 25. The South Korean forward enjoyed another dazzling season with Tottenham Hotspur in 2023–24, helping him keep hold of his 87 overall rating.
Not many come close to matching Son's stats but Yui Hasegawa is the closest. Like Son, the midfielder enjoyed a fantastic 2023–24 season, coming close to the Women's Super League title with Manchester City. She was 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.
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. Iran centre forward Mehdi Taremi comes in at 80, while Saudi Arabia 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
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Best Asian Players on EA FC 25.
