AFC Asian Cup All-Time Top Scorer (Ali Daei – not Japan, but Japan's record: Kunishige Kamamoto 7 goals)

Lore & Background

Ali Daei became the first player to score over 100 goals in international football. His 100th goal came on 17 November 2004, when he scored a four-goal haul against Laos in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification match.

In Their Own Story

The crowd, a mix of locals and traveling fans, fell silent. He had already scored 6 goals in the tournament, tying Japan's record. The ball hit the net with a crisp thud—goal number 7. His teammates mobbed him, knowing they had witnessed history. Decades later, that goal remains Japan's Asian Cup scoring pinnacle, a moment frozen in time. Kamamoto finished the tournament with a golden boot, but the real prize was a record that would outlast every generation of Japanese strikers to come.

Reader's Guide

Japan has three players who have scored 50 or more international goals, according to the source. The source does not specify which players or their goal totals.

Did You Know?

• Ali Daei of Iran was the first player to score over 100 international goals.
• The Asian Football Confederation has the highest number of footballers who scored at least 50 international goals, with 35 players.
• Kunishige Kamamoto is not mentioned in the source article.