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.
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.
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:
Draw.
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.
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.
Groups.
All matches will be played between 3 and 9 September 2025.
Group A.
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Group B.
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Group C.
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Group D.
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Group E.
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Group F.
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Group G.
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Group H.
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Group I.
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Group J.
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Group K.
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Ranking of runner-up.
The four best-ranked runners-up also qualified for the final tournament.
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Qualified teams.
The following teams qualified for the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.