The AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 is approaching the final stages of the league phase, with Buriram United, the only representative from Thailand, having secured a spot in the knockout round after a 2-0 victory over Shanghai Shenhua.
On 18 Feb 2026 GMT+7, following the ACL Elite 2025/26 league phase match, Buriram United, Thailand’s sole club representative, confirmed advancement to the knockout round. The highlight was the blazing form of 23-year-old rising star Suphanat Muenta, who scored a stunning goal in the match, bringing his total to 3 goals from 5 games in this season's league phase.
Thanks to this performance, Suphanat rose to a joint 4th place on the tournament's top scorers list, matching several world-renowned players, including:
Jesse Lingard (FC Seoul) – 3 goals
Darwin Núñez (Al Hilal) – 3 goals
Sergej Milinković-Savić (Al Hilal) – 3 goals
Joselu (Al Gharafa) – 3 goals
Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli) – 3 goals
Suphanat Muenta (Buriram United) – 3 goals
Meanwhile, the tournament's current leading scorers are:
Houssem Aouar (Al Ittihad) – 6 goals
Adil Bolbina (Al Duhail) – 6 goals
Rafa Mujica (Al Sadd) – 5 goals
Enzo Millot (Al Ahli) – 4 goals
Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad) – 4 goals
Krzysztof Piatek (Al Duhail) – 4 goals
Felipe Silva (Chengdu Rongcheng) – 4 goals
Bruno Lemos (Shabab Al Ahli) – 4 goals
For the next fixtures, Buriram United must await the result of the match between Melbourne City FC and Gangwon FC at 17:00 to determine their knockout round opponent, with the possibility of facing either Melbourne City or Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
Suphanat’s 3 goals from 5 matches on the Asian stage have not only helped his club advance to the next round but also demonstrate the capability of Thai players to stand proudly alongside world-class stars.