The 38 teams hoping to see action at the AFC Under-17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 learnt their respective qualifying routes Thursday, reports the AFC website.
The official draw at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia saw the teams divided into seven groups — three of six teams each and four of five.
All group winners will progress to the 21st edition of the finals, where they will join the nine AFC representatives from the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 who have automatically qualified, namely Qatar, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Korea Republic, DPR Korea, Japan, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
The qualifiers will be contested in a single round-robin centralised league format from November 22 to 30, 2025.
Group A will see hosts China PR, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Timor-Leste and Sri Lanka doing battle while Group B will be contested by 2002 runners-up Yemen, Laos, hosts Kyrgyz Republic, Cambodia, Guam and Pakistan.
The Group C challenge will involve hosts Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Northern Mariana Islands and Macau while 2008 winners Islamic Republic of Iran, hosts India, Palestine, Chinese Taipei and Lebanon were drawn in Group D.
Australia headline Group E, with 2016 winners Iraq, Philippines, Jordan (hosts) and Bhutan standing in their way while Thailand (hosts), Kuwait, Turkmenistan, Mongolia and the Maldives will vie for the automatic spot from Group F.
Group G will see two-time winners Oman, Afghanistan, Myanmar (hosts), Syria and Nepal going head to head.
The finals will be contested from May 7 to 24, 2026.
Draw Result
Group A: China PR (H), Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Timor-Leste, Sri Lanka
Group B: Yemen, Laos, Kyrgyz Republic (H), Cambodia, Guam, Pakistan
Group C: Vietnam (H), Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Northern Mariana Islands, Macau
Group D: Islamic Republic of Iran, India (H), Palestine, Chinese Taipei, Lebanon
Group E: Australia, Iraq, Philippines, Jordan (H), Bhutan
Group F: Thailand (H), Kuwait, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, Maldives
Group G: Oman, Afghanistan, Myanmar (H), Syria, Nepal
H - Hosts