October 17, 2026
Sports journalist Badr Balobaid sparked controversy over the historic individual awards won by the legend of Al-Nasr Club and the former Saudi national team, Majed Abdullah, pointing out that the Best Asian Player award he won was not officially issued by the Asian Football Confederation.
Bel Obaid explained, during his hosting on the “Durina Gear” program, that these awards were given by a specialized sports magazine, and were not part of the official agenda of the Asian Confederation, which began organizing its approved annual edition for the best player in the continent in 1994.
It is noteworthy that Majed Abdullah was crowned the best player in Asia for three consecutive years in 1984, 1985, and 1986, before the launch of the official award in its current form.
Although the official awards record of the Asian Confederation – which was launched in 1994 – is devoid of these titles, the Continental Confederation itself has previously documented this achievement. When he congratulated the player on his birthday in 2018, describing him as a three-time winner of the Best Asian Player Award.
These statements revived the debate about the criteria that differentiate between the historical titles granted by media bodies and the awards officially organized by the AFC, without this diminishing the value of the three honors received by the former Saudi football star.
