AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 hopefuls discover road to glory
Kuala Lumpur: The teams vying for the title learnt their Group Stage challengers following the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Official Draw at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday.
04/03/2026 09:28:18
The 16 teams were divided into four groups with the tournament to be contested between between May 5 and 22, 2026.
Hosts Saudi Arabia, who lifted the trophy in 1985 and 1988, will face Tajikistan, Thailand and Myanmar in Group A.
Group B will see former champions Japan being challenged by Indonesia, two-time winners China PR and 1990 titleholders Qatar for the two quarter-final slots.
Korea Republic, also two-time winners, will have to contend with Yemen, Vietnam and United Arab Emirates in Group C while Group D will see a tussle between defending champions Uzbekistan, Australia, India and two-time winners DPR Korea for the right to advance to the knockout stage.
The top eight finishers will qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2026.
Draw Result
Group A: Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Myanmar
Group B: Japan, Indonesia, China PR, Qatar
Group C: Korea Republic, Yemen, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates
Group A: Uzbekistan, Australia, India, DPR Korea
Source: AFC
