The Best Footballer in Asia 2021, recognizing the best male footballer in Asia in 2021, is the 9th edition of the Best Footballer in Asia. Son Heung-min claimed the award on 3rd January 2022. It was his 5st Best Footballer in Asia title in a row, and the 7th title overall. The event was judged by a panel of 50 sports journalists.
50 judges were invited to vote, including 37 representatives from AFC nations/regions which comprise Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arabic Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen. The other thirteen jurors were independent Asian football experts or from high-profile media outlets.[1] Before voting, all judges were given a 25-player shortlist, but could choose other eligible players.
Each juror selects 5 best footballers and awards them 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point respectively from their first choice to the fifth choice. A trophy for the Best Footballer in Asia is awarded to the player with the highest total of points. [2]
When two or more candidates obtain the same points, the rankings of the concerned candidates would be based upon the following criteria in order:
If all conditions are equal, the concerned candidates tie.
If the concerned candidates are tied for first place, the award and the trophy are shared.
Source:[3]
| Rank | Name | Club(s) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Son Heung-min | Tottenham Hotspur | 242 |
| 2 | Sardar Azmoun | Zenit Saint Petersburg | 111 |
| 3 | Mehdi Taremi |  Porto | 90 |
| 4 |  Salem Al-Dawsari | Al-Hilal | 74 |
| 5 |  Takehiro Tomiyasu | Arsenal | 50 |
| 6 | Kyogo Furuhashi | Celtic | 36 |
| 7 |  Al-Sadd | 23 | |
| 8 | 19 | ||
| 9 | 19 | ||
| 10 | 18 | ||
| 11 | 16 | ||
| 12 | Kawasaki Frontale | 13 | |
| 13 | 13 | ||
| 14 | 12 | ||
| 15 |  VfB Stuttgart | 11 | |
| 16 | 10 | ||
| 17 | Al Jazira | 9 | |
| 18 | 5 | ||
| 19 | 4 | ||
| 20 | Hibernian | 3 | |
| 22 | 2 | ||
 Genk | |||
Maritimo Ponferradina | |||
| Al-Hilal | |||
 Shanghai Port | |||
| 28 | 1 | ||
| Rubin Kazan | |||
 Bengaluru | |||
 Kitchee | |||
| Al-Nassr | |||
| Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | |||
| Espanyol |