The 2023 Asian Cup, set to kick off in early 2024 due to a late change of host, will crown a continental champion across the AFC as top teams from around Asia hope to prove themselves worthy of lifting the trophy.
While a solid defense is necessary to emerge victorious, the biggest moments of glory are always stolen by those who put the ball in the net at the highest level.
Indeed, 2019 champions Qatar surprised the confederation with their first-ever Asian Cup crown, and it came on the back of tournament top goal scorer Almoez Ali whose nine goals were more than double anyone else in the tournament.
Yet predicting the eventual top goal scorer is not a simple task. Not only will the eventual winner likely come from a team that reaches into the later stages of the tournament, but also will need to have the perfect situation of minutes on the pitch and service from teammates.
USA: Click here to see the latest odds for 2023 Asia Cup matches from Caesars
Asian Cup top goalscorer odds for 2024
| Player | Nation | Top Scorer odds (Caesars — USA) |
Club |
| Ayase Ueda | Japan | +400 | Feyenoord (NED) |
| Heung-Min Son | S. Korea | +450 | Tottenham (ENG) |
| Almoez Ali | Qatar | +600 | Al Duhail (QAT) |
| Mehdi Taremi | Iran | +900 | Porto (POR) |
| Hee-Chan Hwang | S. Korea | +1100 | Wolves (ENG) |
| Mitchell Duke | Australia | +1200 | Machida Zelvia (JPN) |
| Gue-Sung Cho | S. Korea | +1400 | Midtjylland (DEN) |
| Takuma Asano | Japan | +2000 | VfL Bochum (GER) |
| Sardar Azmoun | Iran | +2000 | AS Roma (ITA) |
| Eldor Shomurodov | Uzbekistan | +2500 | Cagliari (ITA) |
| Daizen Maeda | Japan | +2500 | Celtic (SCO) |
| Saleh Al-Shehri | Saudi Arabia | +2500 | Al Hilal (KSA) |
| Takumi Minamino | Japan | +2500 | AS Monaco (FRA) |
While there are some recognizable names scattered about the 2023 Asian Cup top goal scorer favorites, including Tottenham star Heung-Min Son and former Liverpool player Takumi Minamino, there are a host of lesser-known individuals who fans may not be familiar with as they tune into the competition for the first time.
The betting favorite is, surprisingly, not the hugely popular Son, but instead 25-year-old Japan frontman Ayase Ueda who joined Dutch club Feyenoord this past summer from Belgian side Cercle Brugge. Ueda is a surprise atop the list, as he is not in particularly strong form at the club level, with just one Eredivisie goal this season, and he is relatively new to the Japan setup with seven goals in 19 international caps.
2019 Golden Boot winner Almoez Ali is also near the top of the list, but would likely require another surprisingly deep run by hosts Qatar to make it two top goal scorer wins in a row. Porto forward Mehdi Taremi will lead the line for Iran, but he is struggling for form at 31 years old having collected just three Primeira Liga goals this year.
Wolves striker Hee-Chan Hwang is probably in the best form of the group at the club level, as is Australia frontman Mitchell Duke who is amidst his offseason but ended strong last campaign with Japanese club Machida Zelvia.
Asia Cup top goal scorer prediction, best bet for 2024
Predicting the top goal scorer at an international tournament is a difficult prospect, forced to find the perfect mix of club form, national team standing, and prospects of a deep run in the competition.
In that, there is no better situation than Hee-Chan Hwang of South Korea. While Heung-Min Son gets much of the popularity up front given his well-known position at Tottenham, Hwang is in electric form right now at Wolves, leading an otherwise stunted attack with his brilliance. As South Korea is likely to dominate a soft Group E, there will be plenty of goals to go around.
The biggest danger to Hwang’s ability to top the charts is the presence of other great talent across the South Korean attack. Son will also get his goals, but he also has creative duties, which benefits his teammates, including Hwang. Meanwhile, Gue-Sung Cho is also a threat to rack up goals and steal from his teammates, but he just doesn’t boast the volume as he plays an off-ball striker role.
Australia striker Mitchell Duke is also a solid choice. As the lone striker for the Socceroos, Duke finished his club season in good form and will be fresh after concluding his offseason. Australia does not play a high-scoring style, but against the likes of India and Syria, there will be goals to go around. While the Socceroos may not be title contenders, they will be likely to reach the semifinals, giving Duke plenty of chances to shine.
Players in poor club form like Ayase Ueda and Eldor Shomurodov are hard to trust, while the likes of Mehdi Taremi, Sardar Azmoun, and Almoez Ali play for highly defensive sides who are unlikely to reach deep enough in the competition.
Prediction: Hee-Chan Hwang (+1100 on Caesars)
Dark Horse: Mitchell Duke (+1200 on Caesars)
Asia Cup live stream, TV channel for 2024
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | — | Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network |
| Canada | — | — |
| UK | — | — |
The 2023 Asian Cup, played in early 2024, will be broadcast in the United States exclusively on Paramount+, CBS’s streaming service. All matches will be streamed on Paramount+, with a few select games aired on the new CBS Sports Golazno network.
