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2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification
Age restricted continental qualification competition From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification will be an international men's under-23 football competition which will decide the participating teams of the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
A total of 16 teams will qualify to play in the final tournament, including Saudi Arabia who qualified automatically as host country.
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Format
The 44 teams were divided into eleven group of four team. In each group, teams played each other once at a centralized venue. The eleven group winners and the four best runners-up qualified for the final tournament.[2]
Eligibility
Players born on or after 1 January 2003 are eligible to participate, in accordance with the age criteria set by the Asian Football Confederation.
Tiebreakers
Teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria were applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings:[3]
- Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
- If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above were reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
- Goal difference in all group matches;
- Goals scored in all group matches;
- Penalty shoot-out if only two teams were tied and they met in the last round of the group;
- Lower disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
- Drawing of lots.
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Draw
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Of the 47 AFC member associations, a total of 44 teams entered the competition.
A draw was held on 29 May 2025, at 15:00 (UTC+8) on the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[4]
The teams were seeded based on a points system derived from their final rankings across the previous three editions of the Finals. Teams that indicate their intention to serve as qualification group hosts before the draw will be placed in separate groups. Saudi Arabia automatically qualified for the final tournament as hosts.[5][6]
Groups
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All matches will be played between 3 and 9 September 2025.
Group A
First match(es) will be played: 3 September 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Group B
First match(es) will be played: 3 September 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Group C
First match(es) will be played: 3 September 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Group D
First match(es) will be played: 3 September 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Fengdong Football Park East Stadium, Xi'an
Fengdong Football Park East Stadium, Xi'an
Fengdong Football Park East Stadium, Xi'an
Group E
- All matches will be held in Kyrgyzstan.
- Times listed are UTC+6.
First match(es) will be played: 3 September 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Group F
First match(es) will be played: 3 September 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Group G
First match(es) will be played: 3 September 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Group H
First match(es) will be played: 3 September 2025. Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Group I
- All matches will be held in United Arab Emirates.
- Times listed are UTC+4.
First match(es) will be played: 3 September 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Group J
First match(es) will be played: 3 September 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Group K
- All matches will be held in Tajikistan.
- Times listed are UTC+5.
First match(es) will be played: 3 September 2025. Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
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Ranking of second-placed teams
The four best-ranked runners-up also qualified for the final tournament.
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) away goals scored; 5) wins; 6) away wins; 7) disciplinary points.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) goals scored; 4) away goals scored; 5) wins; 6) away wins; 7) disciplinary points.
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Qualified teams
The following teams qualified for the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
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References
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