Dinh Bac is the top scorer of the 2026 U.23 Asian Championship, Japan sweeps the individual awards.

Dinh Bac is the "Top Scorer" of the 2026 U.23 Asian Championship.

The 2026 AFC U-23 Championship concluded with a strong impression from Nguyen Dinh Bac, as the Vietnam U-23 striker won the top scorer award. According to the AFC's announcement immediately after the final match between Japan U-23 and South Korea U-23, Dinh Bac scored a total of 4 goals and provided 2 assists, making a significant contribution to Vietnam U-23's bronze medal victory in the penalty shootout against South Korea U-23.

A notable aspect of Dinh Bac's journey is that he only started in 2 out of 6 matches for the Vietnam U23 team in the tournament, as the coaching staff had to control playing time due to injury issues. Despite this, the striker born in 2004 consistently made a difference with goals and decisive plays. Three other players also scored 4 goals, but according to the AFC's explanation, the player with the fewest minutes played will win this award.

Watch again the spectacular free-kick goal by Dinh Bac against South Korea U.23.

Dinh Bac opened the tournament with a goal in the 2-0 victory against U23 Jordan, then scored the only goal to help U23 Vietnam defeat U23 Saudi Arabia 1-0 and top Group A. In the quarter-finals, he came on as a substitute and scored in the 3-2 victory after extra time against U23 UAE. In the third-place match, Dinh Bac continued to impress with a superb free-kick against U23 South Korea, ending the tournament as the top scorer.

Japan U23 team wins 2 individual awards.

Meanwhile, the remaining individual awards of the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship all went to Japan U-23, the team that successfully defended their title after a 4-0 victory over China U-23 in the final .

Sato (number 10) is the best player of the tournament.

PHOTO: AFC

Midfielder Ryunosuke Sato was awarded the "Most Valuable Player" (MVP) title. The FC Tokyo player played in all six matches, scoring four goals and providing two assists, including a brace in the final. Sato played a central role in the Japanese U23 team's style of play, making a significant contribution to their journey to becoming the first team to win the U23 Asian Championship three times.

Japan U.23 goalkeeper Rui Araki receives the "Best Goalkeeper" award.

PHOTO: AFC

The Best Goalkeeper award went to Rui Araki. The 19-year-old Japanese goalkeeper kept three clean sheets, particularly shining in the knockout rounds with crucial saves, including two penalty kicks against Jordan U23 in the quarter-finals. Araki's consistent performance and composure were a reliable barrier, helping Japan U23 maintain their solidity on their way to the championship.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dinh-bac-la-vua-pha-luoi-u23-chau-a-2026-nhat-ban-thau-tom-cac-danh-hieu-ca-nhan-185260125004040337.htm