We can’t get over the crazy Asian Champions League top scorers chart of 24-25: No Ronaldo…
Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t feature among the 10 top-scoring Asian Champions League stars of 2024-25 as players from Al-Hilal, Vissel Kobe and Al-Ain have outscored him so far.
As of writing, CR7 has scored one goal in the Asian Champions League which isn’t quite good enough to earn him a spot on this list. However, we certainly wouldn’t be surprised if he climbs a few places over the coming months.
We’ve taken a closer look at the competition and have identified the 10 top-scoring players in the AFC Champions League Elite.
Note: when players are tied on goals scored, we have ordered them by their minutes-per-goal ratio.
10. Cephas Malele – 2 goals
Currently averaging a goal every 99 minutes, Malele narrowly edges out the likes of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Joselu for a place in the top 10 thanks to his superior minutes-per-goal ratio.
The former Palermo forward has spent the last few years slotting the goals away for Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua.
He’s bagged an impressive 19 goals across all competitions this season, with two of them coming in the AFC Champions League.
9. Anderson Lopes – 2 goals
The Brazilian forward has spent the last nine years playing in Asia and currently plays for J1 League side Yokohama F. Marinos.
Across his entire career, he’s scored 11 goals in the competition with two of them coming during 2024-25 so far.
Last season, Lopes made it all the way to the final and scored six goals along the way. However, his side ultimately fell short to Al Ain who ended up winning the competition.
8. Marcos Leonardo – 2 goals
After showcasing glimpses of his talent with Benfica last season, Al-Hilal splashed around £34million to lure him to Saudi Arabia in the summer.
The Brazilian has made a positive impression at his new club so far, having already scored five goals across all competitions.
With the opportunity to play alongside the likes of Neymar, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, the 21-year-old has plenty of experienced pros to learn from.
7. Elber – 2 goals
The Yokohama F. Marinos winger scored both of his goals in a 10-goal thriller against Gwangju FC back in September. Unfortunately for Elber, his side lost that game 7-3, but he still managed to bag a brace for himself.
6. Takuma Nishimura – 2 goals
Of the players who have scored two goals, Nishimura is currently scoring at the best pace, averaging a goal every 51 minutes in the competition.
The former CSKA Moscow star currently plays for Yokohama F. Marinos and has scored two goals in just over 100 minutes of football.
5. Arif Aiman – 3 goals
The Malaysian winger has spent his entire career playing for Johor Darul Ta’zim where he plays alongside the likes of Jordi Amat, Jese Rodriguez and Fernando Forestieri.
However, despite all the big names that play for Johor Darul Ta’zim, none of them have scored more than Aiman in the AFC Champions League so far.
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4. Taisei Miyashiro – 3 goals
The Vissel Kobe star has been in fine form in the AFC Champions League, with three goals in his first three matches.
Vissel Kobe have never won the competition, but with Miyashiro banging in the goals this season, they could go deep in the competition.
3. Soufiane Rahimi – 4 goals
The Moroccan forward scored a brace in last year’s final as Al Ain claimed their second-ever AFC Champions League trophy.
Rahimi has looked just as sharp this time around with four goals in his first three group-stage matches. If he keeps up that sort of form, Al Ain could take some stopping.
2. Salem Al-Dawsari – 4 goals
While Al-Hilal have a number of European and South American superstars on their books, Al-Dawsari continues to be one of their most important players.
The Saudi Arabian winger has already won the AFC Champions League on two separate occasions and we wouldn’t be surprised if he adds a third trophy to his collection this season.
With the likes of Neymar and Mitrovic in their ranks, Al-Hilal are among the favourites to win the tournament this season.
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1. Jasir Asani – 6 goals
Currently leading the top scorers chart is Asani who plays for K League side Gwangju FC. Impressively, he’s scored six goals in three matches and is currently averaging a strike every 44 minutes.
If Ronaldo wants to stand any chance of winning the AFC Champions League Golden Boot this season, he’s got his work cut for himself with Asani around.