Maika Hamano has been named in the inaugural edition of the FIFPRO Asia/Oceania Team of the Tournament for the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup.
A first player-voted honour of its kind at a continental tournament in Asia, the XI was decided on by more than 100 players from participating nations at this year’s competition, with all players who made an appearance eligible for selection.
It’s an award that follows in the footsteps of FIFPRO World 11, one of the most prestigious awards that football players aspire to, and the only global award voted exclusively by players, for the players.
Maika starred for Japan as they lifted the Asian Cup trophy for the third time in the last four editions of the competition – previously winning it in 2014 and 2018 – and played a crucial role in the final victory over host nation Australia.
Reaching the showpiece final after a perfect record, where the young forward netted twice in the previous rounds, Maika produced a moment of magic which separated the two sides in Sydney, turning fantastically on the edge of the box before producing a dipping effort to find the back of the net.
A lively outlet on either flank for her nation, where she featured in five of their six fixtures in the tournament and scored three goals in total, the 21-year-old has also been selected as an honorary citizen of her hometown Takaishi City, becoming the youngest recipient of the award.