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January 31, 2026
Eastern football continues to produce players whose influence now stretches well beyond their domestic leagues. In 2026, their records underline how far the region has come... The following profiles highlight the players shaping that progress on the global stage, as we compare them to Ronaldo...
Football is a very popular sport in the Eastern region and despite almost everyone in the region rating Ronaldo as the GOAT, they also have their own national idols. It is developing at the national level in each individual country. That is why it is not surprising that the region has real football stars who have brought glory to their clubs. Some of them have moved to European clubs, bringing victories to their new teams. Such players are well known to many fans, especially those who place bets on 1xbet Bahrain bookmaker. It is on such platforms that you can find the best players, whom we will discuss further in this article.
Cristiano Ronaldo - Dribbling King
Salim Al-Dawsari is an experienced soccer player born in 1991 who started his career at Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. He scored his first impressive goal in 2011 when his team played against Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr. It is worth noting that the player has only changed teams once, and that was as part of an exchange program. In 2018, Salim moved to the Spanish club Villarreal, where he stayed for only one year.
Salim continued his football career at his home club, participating in various matches. Just a year after transferring to Al-Hilal, the footballer was selected for the national team. He took part in every match his country played. He scored goals in some of them, but the most impressive match he played in was against North Korea in the 2019 Asian Cup. Salim scored one of the three goals that led to Saudi Arabia's victory.
Al-Dawsari has received many awards throughout his career and is rightly considered a football legend. His key personal achievements are listed in the table below.
After receiving the Player of the Year award for the second time, Salim said: "I am grateful to have received this award for the second time. It is especially valuable because it comes after a season in which I worked very hard. Winning tournaments with my teammates is always a priority, but this recognition reflects the collective efforts of both Al-Hilal and the national team. I dedicate it to my teammates, fans, and everyone who supports me."
Lee Kang-in is a South Korean footballer who began his career at Spanish club Valencia. In 2018, he signed a contract and became the first eastern player to do so. Lee did not play for Valencia for long, and in 2023, he signed a contract with Paris Saint-Germain, where he still plays today.
Lee Kang-in has won many awards through his hard work in the football arena. Among the most notable are:
• In 2023, the footballer received the award for best player during the Super Cup in France.
• In 2025, Lee became the best footballer of the year in Asia.
It should be noted that Lee Kang-in also played for the South Korean national team in 2023 and won a gold medal at the Asian Games. Thanks to this, he was able to avoid military service in Korea and continue his European career.
Overall, the footballer can be described as a fairly versatile player. It has been noted that Lee can play equally effectively on the wings and in the center of the field. The footballer knows how to control the ball and lead it to victory.
Son Heung-min is another Korean footballer who is known far beyond his country's borders. He started playing soccer in his homeland, but achieved serious success in foreign clubs. In 2010, he was accepted into the national team of the Republic of Korea, but at the moment, the player has a contract with the Los Angeles club. As he himself put it, the transfer was necessary to gain new experience and develop his career.
Prior to that, Son played for more than ten years at Tottenham Hotspur, some of those during Ronaldo's return to Old Trafford, where he was twice named the best player. In addition, it was at Tottenham that the footballer scored the most goals – 173. Before leaving the club, he received his first award after winning the UEFA Europa League. It is worth noting that Son was appointed team captain, which is a high recognition of his merits to the team.
Son Heung-min's personal achievements are quite impressive and were achieved thanks to his perseverance and constant work on himself as a footballer. Let's take a look at some of them:
• Son is the winner of the Golden Boot award, which he received in 2022.
• During his football career, Son has been named the best player in the Eastern region eight times.
• He is the first record holder in the Eastern region to score 100 goals in the English Premier League.
Despite being a player for another club, Son Heung-min received the Order of the Blue Dragon in 2022. This is a South Korean state award given for a player's sporting achievements.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese footballer whose career has spanned multiple leagues and eras, making him one of the most recognizable athletes in world football. He began his professional journey at Sporting CP before moving to Manchester United in 2003, a transfer that marked the start of his rise to global prominence. Over the years, Ronaldo has played for leading European clubs including Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, before continuing his career in Saudi Arabia.
Throughout his career, Ronaldo has accumulated an extensive list of individual and team honors, reflecting both longevity and elite performance. Among his most notable achievements are:
• Five Ballon d’Or awards, recognizing him as the world’s best player across different seasons.
• Multiple league titles and domestic cups in England, Spain, and Italy.
• A record number of goals in the UEFA Champions League, where he remains the competition’s all-time top scorer.
At international level, Cristiano Ronaldo has been a central figure for the Portuguese national team for over two decades. He captained Portugal to victory at the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019. He is also the all-time leading goalscorer in men’s international football, a record that underlines his sustained impact at the highest level.
From a tactical perspective, Ronaldo has evolved significantly during his career. Initially known as a dynamic winger, he later transitioned into a more central attacking role. His game is defined by physical strength, aerial ability, finishing efficiency, and positional awareness. Even in the later stages of his career, he continues to contribute through experience, leadership, and decisive moments in front of goal.
Overall, Cristiano Ronaldo is regarded not only as a prolific goalscorer but also as a player whose professionalism and adaptability have allowed him to remain competitive across different football cultures and generations.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on February 2, against Al Riyadh, for the Saudi Super League. You can watch Al Riyadh vs Al Nassr, Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano, Elche vs Barcelona, Chelsea vs West Ham, Leeds United vs Arsenal and Liverpool vs Newcastle, all matches provided from our sports live game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Riyadh vs Al Nassr kick-off time (02-02-2026):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 01:30
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 23:00
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+3: 20:30
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 18:30
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 17:30
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 14:30
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 13:30
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 10:30
Sources: ronaldo7.net / espn.co.uk / premierleague.com
