The vote, organized by AFC, ran from Jan. 28 to 31, shows the Vietnamese player winning with a 72.39% rate.

Nguyen Dinh Bac reacts after scoring a header in Vietnam's match against the United Arab Emirates in the AFC U23 Championship 2026.

During the vote period, the goal of Chinese player Xiang Yuwang at one point scored up to 97.51%, but Bac’s backward header in Vietnam’s win against the United Arab Emirates received a surge in votes in the last minutes and won the race.

Yuwang followed with 27.38%.

Other goals included a header by Jordan forward Ali Al Azaizeh against Japan (quarterfinal), and a header by UAE forward Mansoor Al Menhali against Vietnam (quarterfinal).

Bac's goal came from a delicate header off a right-wing cross by his teammate, putting Vietnam ahead 2-1.

"Vietnam's captain restored his team's advantage with a moment of brilliance. Receiving Pham Minh Phuc's cross, Bac produced a stunning back-header that sailed into the far bottom corner, showcasing his composure and technical precision under pressure."

Bac also scored a similar goal to equalize at 1-1 in Vietnam's 2-4 loss to Japan in the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup.

Earlier, his goal against Saudi Arabia was also voted by AFC readers as the Favorite Group Stage Goal, with a dominant 98.57% of the votes.

Bac also beat nine other players to be named the tournament’s "player who caught the eye," securing 86.71% of the votes.

The 22-year-old forward had a memorable tournament with four goals and two assists, helping Vietnam secure third place after defeating South Korea in a penalty shootout.

At the awards ceremony on the evening of Jan. 24, Bac claimed the Top Scorer outright. Ryunosuke Sato of Japan received the Best Player award while his teammate Rui Araki was named Best Goalkeeper.

The AFC U23 Championship 2026 finals were held in Saudi Arabia from Jan. 6 to Jan. 24, featuring 16 teams.

Vietnam won their first four matches before losing 0-3 to China in the semifinals. China advanced to the final but were beaten 0-4 by Japan.

Despite fielding only a U21 squad, Japan became the first team to successfully defend the title.

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