Abbosbek Faizullaev, a player for the Uzbekistan national team and CSKA, was named the best young player in Asia for the 2023/2024 season at an awards ceremony held by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on October 29 in Seoul.
The 21-year-old showcased his talent during a busy 2023/24 season and became the second representative from Uzbekistan to receive this award, following Dostonbek Hamdamov in 2015. This was reported by the AFC website.
Alongside Faizullaev, 18-year-old Japanese player Gaku Nawata and 21-year-old South Korean Pae Chun-ho were also in contention for the award.
Faizullaev was part of the team that won the semifinal of the U-23 Asian Cup and qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris for the first time in Uzbekistan's history.
A product of the Pakhtakor academy, he made his debut for the U-23 national team at the age of 18. After being named the 'Most Valuable Player' at the U-20 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan in 2023, he played in all four matches of the U-20 World Cup in Argentina.
Faizullaev made his debut for the senior national team in June 2023 and quickly established himself in the squad. His versatility, allowing him to play in any midfield position, was evident during the Asian Cup, where he scored two goals.
In August 2023, the midfielder signed a contract with Moscow's CSKA, where he scored 5 goals and provided 14 assists in his debut season.
The forward for the South Korean national team and English club Tottenham, Son Heung-min, was named the Asian Player of the Year, while Australian player Ellie Carpenter was recognized as the Best Female Player of the Year.